Grange Fair is back again. Here’s your guide to parking, admission, entertainment and more
The Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair returns this week to put a bow on a busy summer in Happy Valley.
The annual fair has been a staple in Centre County for nearly 150 years. The nine-day event will stretch from Aug. 19 to 27 and bring along plenty of live entertainment, rides, games and vendors for the whole family.
Whether it’s your first time visiting or your first time back in a while, here’s what you’ll need to know about this year’s Grange Fair.
How to get there
With lots of people headed to the fair, it might be a good idea to give yourself extra time to get to Centre Hall. According to the festival’s website, drivers should enter Gate 4 on Homan Lane off of state Route 45. To find it on your devices, use the GPS address: 149 Homan Lane, Centre Hall, PA 16828.
Parking for the fair will run you $7 per day. However, a weekly parking pass costs $25. The Grange Fair will offer free parking on Wednesday, Aug. 24, to recognize Customer Appreciation Day.
Visitors who are in it for the long haul are welcome to camp at the Grange Park, too. The event annually welcomes more than 1,000 tents and 1,500 RVs, according to its website.
The fair’s overflow camping area will open at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18, and stay open during festival hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Drivers can pull RVs in or out of the lots during those hours.
The fair’s overflow camping area will cost $40 each night. The Grange Fair’s website cautions that these spaces are “primitive” and don’t include access to water lines or electric hookups. Generator use is allowed each day until midnight.
For more information about overnight camping, contact fair organizers at 814-380-1893.
Grange Fair admission & wristbands
Once you’ve arrived at the fairgrounds, you’ll need to pay an admission fee to access exhibits, playgrounds and performances. Daily admission to the fair will run you $8, while weekly passes are available for $25. Children 11 years old and under receive free admission each day.
Bartlebaugh Amusements and Garbrick Amusements will each offer rides and attractions at two separate areas across the fairgrounds. Wristband admission, $25 for each amusement provider, is required each day, although a few discounts will be available throughout the fair.
Available admission discounts include:
50% off Garbrick Amusements wristbands on Sunday, Aug. 21, to mark Military Appreciation Day. The discount is available for service members, veterans and their families.
Youth and high school-aged attendees are admitted for free until 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22.
College students can get 50% off admission wristbands on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Bartlebaugh Amusements and Garbrick Amusements wristbands are half-off, although the latter will throw in a free T-shirt.
To celebrate Customer Appreciation Day on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Grange Fair will offer free parking all day. Bartlebaugh Amusements is taking $5 off daily wristbands, while Gabrick Amusements is offering a buy-one-get-one special.
Guests 62 years old and above will receive free admission on Thursday, Aug. 25. Bartlebaugh Amusements is offering a buy-one-get-one-free special, while Garbrick Amusements is selling daily wristbands for $10.
To ring in Food Bank Day, guests can take $2 off Garbrick Amusements wristbands on Saturday, Aug. 27, with a canned food donation.
Entertainment
The crown jewel of Grange Fair entertainment is its full slate of grandstand acts, which will perform headlining shows nearly every night throughout the fair’s duration. Each show will take the stage at 8 p.m. Diamond Rio will kick it off on Aug. 19, and other grandstand entertainers include Christian music performers, country acts and a Bruce Springsteen tribute band.
Grandstand shows are included with fair admission and don’t require additional purchases. You might want to head over early to grab a good seat, though.
Although touring musicians and bands are a big draw for Grange Fair entertainment, they aren’t the only acts guests can expect. The nine-day fair will feature a handful of hands-on exhibits and shows, including a series that will introduce little ones to animals. Other exhibits include an interactive cooking demo from Happy Valley’s own Thomas Novosel and Aug. 24’s all-day motor sports exhibition and car show, which will take over the fairgrounds’ competition track.
Of course, no Grange Fair would be complete without crowning the Centre County Grange Fair queen. This year’s honoree will be crowned before the festival at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at the Southside Stage.
Check out the Grange Fair’s daily schedules for a closer look at this year’s entertainment offerings.
Food & drink
Whatever day you choose to go to the fair, make sure to arrive hungry. Apple dumplings, milkshakes, sticky buns, fries and nachos are just a sampling of the more than 100 food vendors to choose from.
How was the festival started?
The Grange Fair is now entering its 148th year entertaining Centre County families. It celebrates agriculture and local vendors while providing a significant end-of-summer boost for the region’s economy.
The Grange Fair took a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned last summer to keep its beloved tradition alive.
Centre County’s fair dates back to the 19th century when the first Grange was formed in Centre County in 1873. The fair we know today began as the “Grange Pic-Nic” before blossoming into a community staple.
The national Grange was first formed in 1867 as a farmers’ association to sponsor social activities, connect with suppliers and rebuild after the Civil War. Eleven Granges currently operate in Centre County to continue advocacy efforts for farmers and serve their communities.
For more information and a daily schedule of events, visit grangefair.com.
