FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Fair made its annual return at the East Freehold Showgrounds, as people from around the county came out for music, food, rides, and games to celebrate the county they call home. The fair itself was celebrating its 50th anniversary as well.
The fair ran for five days, with each day having a different set of shows and events. The rides, food, games and exhibits, however, were mainstays.
Some of the rides that were there included a Ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl, carousel, the Super Himalaya and the Pharoah’s Fury. The other attractions included the NJ Fire Museum Display and various carnival style games.
Animal lovers could check out exhibits featuring reptiles, rabbits, horses and other barn animals such as goats, cows and chickens.
The fair also had a lot of different shows including DAWG Pro Wrestling presents DAWG Days of Summer, Robinson’s Racing Pigs, and the Pups Gone Nuts Dog Show.
Robinson’s racing pigs featured races that had four pigs run around a track or swim through a small pool with the fastest one being the winner. Pups Gone Nuts featured several dogs doing tricks such as jumping through hoops and even dancing with their trainer.
Plenty of options for traditional fair food were available as well. Food trucks serving fried Oreos, burgers, fries, chicken fingers, zeppolis, and so much more lined the main entry pathway and the main picnic area.
The Festival featured events such as the Monmouth County firefighters competition and a presentation by Yasgur’s Farm. The firefighters’ competition featured teams from different firehouses around the county participating in a relay race to assemble a small ladder and spray water on a small, barn-shaped target. The Farmingdale fire department placed first for the third time in four years, while the Ramtown and Freehold fire departments came in second and third. The day ended with a firework display that lit up the sky to kick off the festival’s four day stay in style.
Thursday featured a performance from the Mission Dance Band on the main stage, and Friday had an On-Site Native Plant Flower Arranging Competition at 7 p.m. with a live performance from Nicole Adkins at 8:30 p.m. on the main stage.
Saturday was the longest day for the festival, as doors opened at 11 a.m. and stayed open until 11 p.m. Saturday had its own special events including the Black Jar Honey Competition and a tribute to Elton John. Dawg wrestling also ran four shows on Saturday, each having two different matches, as fair attendees got to see the tag team duo named Primal Fear win the championship belt against The Shot Callers and defend it against The Liberty Bros.
Sunday featured a lot more events and competitions to close out the fair on a high note. The annual pie eating contest was held where a champion was crowned in both the children and adults competitions. Sunday also featured live performances from the Rockit Academy, the Funny Factory Clown Band, and the Jackson Pines band.
