BERKELEY – The Ocean County Fair will again be held at the Robert J. Miller Airpark on Route 530 in Berkeley and will be filled with all the rides, food, and entertainment you’ve come to expect at the annual event.
Entrance to the fairground is $10. Parking is free.
The same ride vendor as last year, Campy’s Blue Star Amusements, will be there. Certain days (see below) will have wristbands available for unlimited rides during certain times.
Expect to see pig races, the Dynamo Dog show, and other animal acts. Depending on when you get there, you might see Sheriff K-9 demonstrations, seeing eye dog demos, horse shows and more.
Only exhibit animals are allowed at the fair. Visitors need to leave pets at home.
As always, the 4-H clubs are a huge part of the fair, and they will be demonstrating the projects they have worked on in the fields of agriculture, animal care and more.
Archived photo: Bwana Jim introduces a crowd to a gila monster. (Photo by Chris Lundy)
For the first time in 15 years, there will be an open show where anyone can bring their exhibits, assistant fair manager David Feimster said. Additionally, there will be an open horse show where any individual can enter.
“This year, we’ll be celebrating the history of piracy in Ocean County,” he said.
Pirate Dan will be wandering through the fairgrounds interacting with fairgoers and singing shanties.
Last year, there was a Verizon cell tower set up and it will return for this year, he said.
The website oceancountyfair.net has a full schedule of events, but this article will provide highlights.
The fair will be July 10-14. Hours are:
Wednesday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Wristbands available for $45.
Thursday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Rides open at 1 p.m. Wristbands available for $45 from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. only.
Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Rides open at noon.
Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Rides open at noon. Wristbands available from 12-5 p.m. only for $45.
Concert Nights
Live music will be on stage every night at 7 p.m., Feimster said. Some of the acts are from New Jersey and some are travelling.
Wednesday will be the Libby Prison Minstrels performing historical music from the Civil War era.
Thursday will be the Strictly 60s Tribute Band.
Friday will be country music favorite After The Reign.
Saturday will be the Animal House Band.
Other concerts and performances will be held at various times during the four-day event.
History
The Ocean County Board of Agriculture held the first annual “4-H Achievement and Agricultural Ocean County Field Day” on September 6, 1947. There were approximately 500 people there. By way of comparison, for the 1967 show, that number was up to 60,000 people.
It started at the Ocean County Park in Lakewood, but outgrew it in the 1980s. It was then relocated to the Robert J. Miller Airpark in Berkeley. The first four-day fair was in 1982.
Photo courtesy The Ocean County Fair
It used to be an agricultural show for local farmers to show off their crops. However, as farming gave way to housing and commercial development, there are far fewer farms left locally. The 4-H has taken on the agricultural aspect of the fair, showing off what families have grown and nurtured.
The only years the fair wasn’t held were 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic restrictions.
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