The 156th Clearfield County Fair wraps up on Saturday night. We have more on some sights of Day 6, including a unique contest.
Not very many people showed up for the costume contest, but it was entertaining to see these horses.
“In showmanship, you don’t dress up. This is just costume class. It’s like Halloween,” says Lynnette Derrick of Clearfield.
Derrick worked on one of her miniature horses before a “fun show” on Friday.
She says the rules are to dress the horse in your own creative way, as long as there’s no safety issues.
“I’m getting her all dolled up and getting everything ready for her to go in and strut her stuff,” says Derrick.
Derrick’s friend showed Ginger in the ring, while Derrick herself dressed up using straw and showed a different horse.
“I have three of them. They’re like our dogs on the farm. They all, just like every horse, they have their own personalities,” says Derrick.
It was hard to keep all the straw together, but in the end, Derrick won the prize out of the three entries.
“It’s been fun, it’s been a crazy ride,” says carnival worker Joe Lee.
Meantime, carnival workers were busy getting ready to open the rides at noon.
They’re heading to the West Virginia State Fair next, Lee said.
This job takes this crew all over the east coast, living in trailers, meeting new people, and de-constructing and re-constructing rides.
“We were in Maryland, New Jersey, now Pennsylvania, and heading all the way down to Savannah, Georgia,” says Lee.
Organizers say attendance has been similar to past years.
“The first few days were right on par with the previous years. I’m looking to hit 50,000 to 60,000 paid through the week,” says Fair and Park Board President David Franson.
We spoke to one vendor who’s been coming here for about 20 years, selling snow cones at his Tropical Sno stands.
“I’d say the biggest thing about the fair is probably the tradition. Things stay the same and then the kids get older and the grandkids take over,” says Dan Miller.
Franson said tickets were still available for the Lady Antebellum show on Saturday night, and the Jake Owen show which was held on Friday night.