Ocean County Fair To Bring Local Flair

Photo courtesy The Ocean County Fair

BERKELEY – With so many home-grown performers and demonstrators, it truly is an Ocean County Fair.

The fair will be held from Wednesday, July 11 through Sunday, July 15 at Robert J. Miller Airpark, Route 530 in Berkeley.

Admission is $8. Children under 10 are free. Parking is free. For more information, visit OceanCountyFair.com.

Animal acts and most vendors will be there throughout the length of the fair. The schedule, with special events, is below:

Wednesday, July 11: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

  • K-9 demos, 6 p.m.
  • Simply Three Band (classic rock from Forked River) 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Thursday, July 12: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

  • Unlimited ride wristbands can be purchased.
  • Comedy hypnotist Dr. Steven Michael Hypnosis – Ocean County’s own
  • Chariot Riders Therapeutic Horse Riding Demo

Friday, July 13: 11 a.m. – 11p.m.

  • Clarizio Music Kids Rock Band, from Point Pleasant.
  • After the Reign, country music, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
  • Cowboy Larry western skill show, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Horse show

Saturday, July 14: 11a.m. – 11p.m.

  • Scott DeCarlo – Jersey bred country, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
  • R&B Express, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Cowboy Larry western skill show, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Horse show

Sunday, July 15: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

  • Unlimited ride wristbands can be purchased.
  • Kaotic Control, Ocean County-based band, 1 p.m.

Where: Robert J. Miller Airpark, Route 530, Berkeley Township.

Photo by Chris Lundy

Every Day:

Dinosaur Rock is a new vendor that has museum quality dinosaur fossils, gems, ocean and insect exhibits. Kids can mine for imitation gold and gemstones.

RC Power Party is a vendor for people to rent remote controlled cars and trucks to race each other on a course that is set up.

A chainsaw carver will also be making a few sculptures a day, which will then be for sale. He will be attending the fair from Wednesday to Saturday.

Rides, Games and Food

The fair will have the same ride vendor as they had last year, fair manager Jeff Adams said. This outfit is a family-run operation out of Englishtown, New Jersey.

Unlimited ride wristbands will be available for purchase on Thursday and Sunday.

The carnival-style food and games will also be throughout the ride area.

Cory Hess, 10, and Jon Hess, 6, both of Bayville, ride a camel at the Ocean County Fair. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

Animal Shows

A county fair is not complete without animal shows. Unless noted, these will be running throughout the entire fair.

The 4-H will continue to showcase the animals they have raised and cared for, as well as other educational and artistic projects.

The Toms River Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department will both have K-9 demonstrations on Wednesday evening.

A pony ride will be available. The vendor is from Forked River.

Pig racing, a longtime staple, will return. The owner of this company is from Jackson.

Marvelous Mutts will return, showing off dog tricks of agility, running, and diving.

Fair History

The fair is in its 71st year. It started at the Ocean County Park in Lakewood, but outgrew it in the 1980s. It was then relocated to Berkeley Township where it resides today.

It used to be an agricultural show, for local farmers to show off their crops, Adams said. However, as farming gave way to housing and commercial development, there are very few farms left locally. The 4-H has taken on the agricultural aspect of the fair, showing off what families have grown and nurtured.