Trumbull County Fair does more than entertain

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

BAZETTA

From opening day Tuesday to the final fireworks Sunday, the Trumbull County Fair does more than entertain.

It’s also a “showcase for the creative skills of people of all ages,” according to the fair board.

For example, just after the opening ceremony at noon Tuesday, the flower show opens in the flower barn. And the flower, culinary arts, domestic arts, fine arts and photography exhibits don’t close until late the last day, just before the fireworks at about 9:30 p.m.

Of course, it’s the county’s foremost agricultural exhibition, a place to eat, socialize, ride rides, see animals and watch musical performances and motor events such as tractor pulls.

The Trumbull County Fair, located at the corner of Everett Hull and Bazetta roads, doesn’t change much from year to year, acknowledged Brenda Richmond, the fair’s financial secretary.

But, “we are still, I feel, the best price out there – $8 for everything but food, including mechanical rides and grandstand,” she said. Senior citizens over age 62 pay $4, and children 24 months and under are free.

At many county fairs, the $8 admission is followed by additional charges for rides and grandstand performances, Richmond said.

There won’t be any big-name performers at this year’s 169th fair because the fair board experimented several years ago with that and found it be a losing proposition for them, Richmond said.

The board is toying with hiring a promoter to schedule big-name entertainment again one day, she noted.

For this year, the only new items are the return of bus races at 6 p.m. Tuesday to the grandstand and a live wolf exhibit providing several daily shows near the grandstand.

Also new this year is a model-railroad display by the Riverside Railroad Club of Warren, which will be showing a 10-foot-by-35-foot layout in one of the education buildings. The display includes a lift bridge.

The 20-year-old Warren-based band Guys Without Ties is back at the fair after having played the event many years ago. It performs “horn drenched rock and soul music,” according to the band’s website. “Guys” has a trumpet, trombone, saxophone, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals and play at 7 p.m. Friday.

The fair’s Trumbull Idol contest will be back, with finalist performances at 5 p.m. Friday.

The fair’s biggest draws by number of spectators are motor sports — including the 5 p.m. Sunday demolition derby, 4 p.m. Saturday truck and tractor pulls and auto racing starting at 6 p.m Tuesday and continuing the next two nights.

The Trumbull fair had 48,700 paying customers last year, which is down about 10,000 from the numbers 30 years ago, Richmond said.