Comedian will cap the six-day Canfield Fair

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

CANFIELD

This year’s Canfield Fair will come to a close with a performance by comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, who will be part of an entertainment lineup that mixes things up a bit.

The family-friendly Iglesias will take the grandstand stage on the evening of Sept. 2, capping the six-day fair.

Tickets to Iglesias’s performance, which was announced Wednesday at a press conference at the fairgrounds, will range from $26.50 to $46.50 and go on sale May 3 at ticketmaster.com.

The other major grandstand show will be Sept. 1 with a capella pop vocal group Pentatonix and opening act Rachel Platten. That show was announced earlier this year, and tickets are already on sale.

Grandstand shows at the fair have always leaned heavily toward country and classic rock music. While this year’s offerings are a bit of a departure, they really aren’t that much of a risk, according to Ken Bigley, vice president of JAC Management, which books entertainment for the fair.

“We believe families have a wide variety of interests and these are genres we haven’t hit in a while,” said Bigley. “Both of these acts are at the top of their game at this moment, so now is the time to get them.”

The last time a comedian headlined a grandstand show at the fair was 2010 when Jeff Dunham and his puppets took the stage.

Iglesias has already proven himself to be a hit at fairs nationwide, said Bigley.

But in addition to his successful standup career, the comedian is all over television and the big screen.

Iglesias has released a half-dozen specials and series for Comedy Central and Netflix, and was the star of comic docu-series “Fluffy’s Food Adventures,” which recently complete a three-season run on Fuse TV. His film credits include “Magic Mike,” “A Haunted House 2” and many voiceovers in animated movies.

While the rotund comedian will no doubt bring the laughs, another event that will debut at this year’s fair should elicit plenty of smiles as well.

On Aug. 31, the Weiner Dog Races will be introduced during that evening’s horse racing.

Dachshunds – or Dachshund mixed-breeds who fit the “weiner dog” description – will compete in 100-foot races right in front of the grandstand. “Any variation will do, just as long as they have that look,” said Elwood Woolman, who is in charge of horse racing at the fair.

Weiner dog racing has become a hit at tracks nationwide in the past year or so, explained Woolman. The long and low canines with the short legs are held at the starting line, and then released to run toward their owner at the finish line.

Thanks to their unique physique, the dogs bounce and waddle more than run, and that’s where the fun comes in.

Area residents will have a chance to enter their dachshund in the races, said Woolman.

Will spectators be able to bet on them?

“Only among themselves,” said Woolman. Parimutuel betting doesn’t extend to the pets, he said.

Rounding out the grandstand entertainment lineup at the 173rd Canfield Fair will be the usual lineup of time-tested favorites, including demolition derby on Aug. 30, and the truck and tractor pull on Aug. 31.

IF YOU GO

What: Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias

When: 8 p.m. Sept. 2

Where: Canfield Fair grandstand

Tickets: $26.50, $36.50 and $46.50 (fees may apply)

Where: On sale at 10 a.m. May 3 at ticketmaster.com

Info: canfieldfair.com