The Great Allentown Fair is an annual fair and

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibi ...

that is held at the Allentown Fairgrounds in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 census. It is the fastest-growing major city in Pennsylvania an ...

. It is operated by the Lehigh County Agricultural Society. It is one of the oldest fairs in the United States, and one of the largest in the state of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Mary ...

. The fair was first held in 1852 to showcase agricultural advancements and to entertain patrons. It has since evolved to appeal to a broader audience, adding more entertainment and dining options. Although it stays true to its agricultural roots by offering

petting zoo A petting zoo (also called a children's zoo, children's farm, or petting farm) features a combination of domesticated animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, many general ...

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals raised in an agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is som ...

judging contests, and a

farmer's market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

, the modern-day fair focuses more on entertainment; it boasts a carnival,

talent show A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather th ...

s, and

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...

History

Early history

1941 - Midway looking west Allentown Fair - Allentown PA

2018 - Allentown Fairgrounds Grandstand - Allentown PA

2019 - Fairgrounds Gate - 01 - Allentown PA

The Lehigh County Agricultural Society held the first fair from October 6 to October 8, 1852, on Livingston's Lawn, a plot located east of Fourth Street, between Walnut and Union Streets, in Allentown. The initial fair was so successful that in 1853 the Society undertook the purchase of a larger plot of land, north of Liberty Street and between Fifth and Sixth Streets, on which ticket offices and a two-story exhibition hall were built.''History'', p. 9 This location was the site of the second fair, held September 28, 29 and 30 of the same year. One of the most popular attractions of these early fairs was Stephen Lentz's Flying Coach, a brass band that performed atop a hay wagon.''History'', p. 13 In 1862, there was no fair due to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

. During this time, the fairgrounds were used as a staging site for the 176th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. The fair resumed in 1863. In 1876, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

, a large reenactment of the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in t ...

was held, which included many of Lehigh County's Civil War regiments and veterans as participants.''History'', p. 15 The "centennial" fair was a tremendous success.

New fairgrounds and name

Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, the popularity of the Allentown Fair continued to grow. However, increased attendance led to dissatisfaction regarding the fairground's size, facilities, short

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

and small

grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all ...

.''History'', p. 17 In 1889, the Lehigh County Agricultural Society purchased a plot of land on Seventeenth Street, between Chew and Liberty Streets, to serve as the new fairgrounds. One of the primary features of the new location was a new half-mile race track, with grandstands capable of seating 2,500. In celebration of the opening of the new fairgrounds, the fair was renamed the "Great Allentown Fair."

20th Century

From its earliest days, horse racing was a popular event at the Allentown Fair. In 1902, the fair's half-mile track was regarded as "one of the finest in the country." In 1905, racehorse

Dan Patch Dan Patch (April 29, 1896 – July 11, 1916) was a noted American Standardbred pacer. At a time when harness racing was one of the largest sports in the nation, Dan Patch was a major celebrity. He was undefeated in open competition, and was so ...

set a record of 2:01 on the half-mile track. In 1911, the present-day grandstand was built at the Allentown Fairgrounds, increasing the overall

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

from 2,500 to 10,000. Between the years 1907 and 1914,

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

races became a featured attraction at the fair. In 1909, two airships - one bearing the

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

, the other that of Germany, took off from the fairgrounds, raced down Hamilton Street, circled the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, and returned. The airship bearing the American flag won the race. The following year, pilot

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

took off in his plane, using 19th Street as his runway, and flew over the Allentown Fair, in what was the first known heavier-than-air flight in the

Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the nor ...

. The first

auto race Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

was held at the fair in 1920.

Sprint car Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New ...

races were sanctioned by the

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 mi ...

(until 1955), the

United States Automobile Club The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapol ...

(1956–1966) and the

International Motor Contest Association The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) was organized in 1915 by J. Alex Sloan, and is currently the oldest active auto racing sanctioning body in the United States. IMCA is currently headquartered in Vinton, Iowa, and features ...

(1967 and 1968). Sprint car legends

Tommy Hinnershitz Thomas Paul Hinnershitz (April 6, 1912 – August 1, 1999) was an American race car driver. Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving "Big Cars" (later Sprint Cars), at that time slightly ...

and

Ira Vail Ira Vail (22 November 1893 – 21 April 1979) was a Canadian-American racecar driver and auto racing promoter. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Career Vail raced sprint and championship cars in the AAA-sanctioned racing series. He co ...

both captured numerous wins on the half-mile dirt track, and

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianap ...

winners

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...

A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...

and

Parnelli Jones Rufus Parnell Jones (born August 12, 1933) is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. In 1962, he became the ...

all raced at the Allentown Fair before going on to greater fame. In 1960,

Johnny Thomson John A. Thomson (April 9, 1922 – September 24, 1960) was an American racecar driver. Thomson was nicknamed "the Flying Scot." He won several championships in midgets and sprint cars before competing in Championship Car (now IndyCar) racing. H ...

was killed during a race at the fair when his car crashed through the inside track fence. Although the last sanctioned auto race was held in 1968,

demolition derbies Demolition derby is a non-racing motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehi ...

continued to be popular event. There was no fair held in 1917 and 1918 due to World War I. During this period, the fairground was transformed into Camp Crane, a training facility for the

United States Army Ambulance Service The United States Army Ambulance Service (USAAS) was a unit of the United States Army during World War I. It was established by General Order No. 75 of the War Department in May 1917. It primarily provided medical services to the French, Briti ...

(USAAS). During this time, more than 20,000 soldiers lived in tents and barracks on the fairgrounds. The caretaker's house, which stood at 1701 Chew Street until demolished in 1960 to make room for a bank, was used as the officer's club. The fair wasn't held between 1942 and 1945 due to World War II. In 1951, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, his wife, and his son Arthur attended "Father and Son" day at the Allentown Fair, a visit described by local historian Frank Whelan as "probably among the most significant moments in the fair's history." Beginning in the 1950s, musical concerts and performances held during Fair week starting drawing major acts and large crowds.

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

and

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the '' The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, tel ...

appeared during the 1960s, as did

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

and a touring version of

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Dan ...

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

introduced the

Osmond Brothers The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...

in 1964. In 1964,

Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's " God Bless America" & " When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain ...

made her first "community fair" performance at the Allentown Fair.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

headlined in 1966, and the back cover of their album '' S.R.O.'' even featured a photograph taken during their performance. On August 8, 1974,

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

delayed her concert while

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

's resignation speech was broadcast live over the

public address A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...

system. Her performance later that night broke box office records at the Allentown Fair.

21st century

In 2020, for the first time in 75 years, the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021.

Attractions

The Great Allentown Fair offers many attractions, including: *Grandstand: A large outdoor stage featuring the fair's biggest musicians *Farmerama Theater: An amphitheater where talent contests are held and assorted daytime entertainment takes place *Music Tent: A tent where bands perform *Main Entrance Plaza: An area where special shows, such as juggling acts, are held * Powers Great American Midways: The fair's carnival *Agriplex/Agriland: The fair's agricultural-themed areas

Grandstand performances

In 1911, a 7,070 seat grandstand was constructed at a cost of $100,000 to host

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

and

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organis ...

. In 1956, the grandstand was opened to major musician and band acts with

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and ot ...

the first booked grandstand act. Since then, Allentown Fairground's grandstand has featured many of the world's biggest musical acts, including:Concert Archives, Allentown Fairgrounds
/ref> *

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, 2022 *

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, 2022 *

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, 2021 *

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, 2018 *

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, 2016 *

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, 2015 * Tesla, 2015 *

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, 2014 and 2015 *

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, 2010 *

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, 2009 *

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, 2009 * Daughtry, 2008 *

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, 2007 *

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, 2007 *

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, 2007 *

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, 2005 *

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, 2005 * Yes, 2004 *

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, 2004 *

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, 2002 * Journey, 2002 and 2011 *

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, 2001 and 2021 *

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, 2001 and 2004 *

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, 2000 *

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, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2015 *

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, 1998 *

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, 1993 *

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, 1992 *

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, 1992 *

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, 1990 *

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, 1989 *

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, 1989 * Foreigner, 1985 and 2011 *

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, 1985, 2005, 2014, and 2015 *

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, 1984 *

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, 1984 * Rush, 1980 and 2010 *

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, 1980 *

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, 1980, 2004 and 2008 *

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, 1980 and 1989 *

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, 1979 *

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, 1978 *

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, 1977 *

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, 1977 and 2019 * Chicago, 1970, 1972 and 2009 *

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, 1970 *

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References

Notes

External links

Official website
{{Lehigh Valley 1852 establishments in Pennsylvania Agricultural shows in the United States Annual events in Pennsylvania August events Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania Fairs in the United States Festivals in Pennsylvania History of Allentown, Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Allentown, Pennsylvania Recurring events established in 1852 September events

History

Early history

New fairgrounds and name

20th Century

21st century

Attractions

Grandstand performances

See also

References

Notes

External links