Take a step back in time at 173rd Annual Long Island Fair

The Island Now

Visitors can enjoy magic shows, a petting zoo, and historical entertainment when Old Bethpage Village Restoration hosts the 173rd Annual Long Island Fair over the next two weekends 

Stilt walkers will traverse the grounds while entertainers enthrall families with puppets, juggling and storytelling, all continuing a 173-year tradition.  Attractions such as livestock shows, tractor rides, Civil War reenactments, and Rough Rider demonstrations whisk riders back to another era. 

“The Long Island Fair, one of America’s oldest agricultural festivals, is a family-friendly festival offering a range of attractions, including exotic animals, reptile shows, pony and carnival rides, as well as traditional live music,” said Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano.  “I invite residents and visitors to join us at the Long Island Fair.”

Visitors will also find: historical demonstrations of tin-smithing, pottery, blacksmithing, weaving, and candle-making; Dance opportunities: brass bands, a fiddler, bluegrass band Buddy Merriam & Backroads, Homegrown String Band, and kids’ singer-songwriter Patricia Shih; Tests of skill: sawing, corn-husking, and scarecrow-building contests and guessing the weight of a giant pumpkin.

Tickets are required for rides on camels, ponies, horse-drawn wagons, a hot-air balloon, a 19th century carousel and the bounce houses.

Eats for sale will include candied apples, pumpkins, organic veggies, fresh-made candy, giant turkey legs and funnel cakes;

A new addition for 2015 will be the Timberworks Lumberjack Show

Baseball fans can enjoy the end-of-season matches of OBVR’s Old Time Baseball League, which recreates “baseball” as it was played in the latter half of the 19th century, with teams competing in authentic uniforms and playing under the names of Long Island clubs of that era.

The Long Island Fair is the New York State-recognized county fair for Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, and involves the cooperation of the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums and the Agricultural Society of Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 

Thousands of exhibits are entered every year in friendly competition, with blue ribbon categories including livestock, flowers and vegetables from farms and home gardens, culinary, needlework, hobbies, and a junior division for those 13 and younger. 

This year’s competitions will also include an “Advanced” category for new professionals, novices and students who are serious about their craft. Entries in this category will require a fee, with generous first, second and third place prizes; and the judges will be required to submit credentials in the specific classes.

The fair is unique among New York State County Fairs in that it maintains much of the historical ambiance of the 19th century. The fair was founded in 1842 and became known as the Queens County Agricultural Fair, but soon after was called the Mineola Fair when it moved to a permanent location in Mineola in 1866. 

The fair moved to Roosevelt Raceway in 1953 and to the newly opened Old Bethpage Village Restoration in 1970, where it is held on a 12-acre recreation of the original Mineola Fairgrounds.

The Long Island Fair will run September 25, 26, and 27 and October 2, 3 and 4 between the hours of 10 a.m. – 4  p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Entrance fees are: $12 for adults, $8 for children (5 to 12) and seniors 60 and up. Specials: Senior Citizen Friday: $5. Early Bird Special: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., all tickets are $7. 

Old Bethpage Village is located at 1303 Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage. For more information, please call (516) 572-8401 or visit www.lifair.org.

Share this Article