In 1958 my father had a food stand at the fair. It took him about an hour to realize you cannot sell hot dogs in the King's back yard, that is Yocco the hot dog king. When Yocco's claimed last year(2006) they were not at the fair because their canvas ripped, I was skeptical. This year it's official, they have abdicated their spot. Tonight the fair was jammed. In Ag Hall the granges still compete in vegetable canning. A wiseguy still incites you to dunk him. The world's smallest horse hasn't grown. Maybe Yocco's is gone, but the fair is still much more like 1958 than any other aspect of Allentown.
reprinted annually since 2007
ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER 2, 2022: While another Allentown icon, The Brass Rail, recently closed on Lehigh Street, they have announced that a curtain call will be held at this year's fair... Last chance for a Brass Rail cheesesteak.
I went to the Fair on both Wednesday and Thursday nights. A few observations:
ReplyDelete1) The traditional grange displays of farm products are missing in AG Hall. Very disappointing, but likely a strong statement about the state of our local granges.
2) Dunk tanks with "a wiseguy" (i.e. Bobo) are long gone (and missed).
3) The world's smallest horse and other such exhibits are also gone.
[Note: Maybe I'm just missing all these things (#1-#3), but if that's the case they're still not as prominent or numerous as they once were. My suspicion is that they are no longer acceptable to some in our politically correct society. That's a shame, because I think that the Fair has lost a lot of what made it fun and unique]
4) The Fair started Wednesday evening, instead of the traditional Tuesday night.
5) Gone too is opening night being "Free Night". Wednesday was reduced admission ($4 instead of $8, which could be reduced further if you brought a canned good for the Second Harvest Food Bank). I realize that's been going on for a few years, but I think the Fair is missing an opportunity to get more people into the gate (and exposed to the Fair). It seems like once a charity got involved, "Free Night" was taken away.
6) No grandstand shows on Wednesday night, and none scheduled for Saturday! To me, that's inexcusable. The shows help drive attendance. Not sure who dropped the ball there, but wow!
7) Since I'm talking about grandstand shows, last night's show (the Drop Kick Murphy's and/or their opening act) was not appropriate for a Fair that bills itself as being family friendly. I'm no prude, but those not attending the concert shouldn't be subjected to an endless stream of obscenities from an over-amplified band. I know there were kids at the Fair, and I can only imagine what the poor people living nearby had to put up with inside their OWN homes. I could still hear it clearly up near Allen High School. The Fair was not a good neighbor last night.
8) Crowds seemed light for both nights, especially given the good weather. The Fair itself seemed smaller. Not a good sign if you want the Fair to succeed going forward. Hopefully the weekend crowds will turnout, and Fair organizers will look at what can be done better in the future (it's a long list).
Finally, I refuse to go for a "last chance" Brass Rail cheesesteak. I loved the Rail, but they made their decision, and now they're dead to me. If they want me back, they can open another permanent location in the city. I'll be there for many cheesesteaks and spaghetti dinners. Until then, I'm out.