HARFORD, SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The 167th Harford Fair has returned for another year in Susquehanna County.
Sea lions in northeastern Pennsylvania are a rare sight.
"Kika loves to sing; she thinks she’s Shakira, but we don’t tell her that," said Daniel Rodríguez, trainer/presenter at Sea Lions Splash.
Cyra and Kika are warming up their moves and getting ready for the fun and educational ‘Sea Lions Splash' show happening all week long at the Harford Fair.
"Show them the differences between sea lions and seals, and then we teach them a little about pollution," explained Rodríguez.
Switching from the pools to the barns, it’s a busy Monday morning at the fairgrounds for day one of the summer staple.
"I love seeing everyone at the fair, it really makes my week. This is like the best week of the year for me," stated Charley Smith, Harford Fair exhibitor/4-H Pounding Hooves & Beating Hearts Club Pres.
Smith has grown up showing her animals at the fair.. Explaining the dedication and time it takes to care for her horses, Mickey and Hugo.
"Just a lot of consistency and keeping him fit and healthy.”
Something that also takes time, vendors like Cory Valentine are setting up and preparing for customers.
Airbrushing each of his lures, he says he loves making connections with people.
Parade of boats sails in Carbon County
"One kid was like, ‘I used a bag of your worms and I caught like five bass in one spot,’ and the other kid was like, ‘I caught my personal best six-pound bass on one of your lures.’ It’s just a lot of joy that I know that people can enjoy the sport I enjoy," expressed Cory Valentine, owner, CJ Custom Fishing Lures.
Running through Saturday, the Harford Fair dates back to 1858, attracting royalty and crowds from all over.
"People who are from the city and don’t normally see cows and pigs and stuff, to see them walk through the barn, they're surprised and sometimes fearful, but it’s really fun to see," stated Hayleigh Krupinski, 2024 Harford Fair queen.
Getting bigger every year, its fair director says they also add new things for families like hers to make memories.
"We have the truck and tractor pulls, we have the concert Maddie & Tae this year, we have the rodeo and the demolition derby, and it’s time I get to spend with my boys," Nicki Zaleski, director/fair queen of 1998, Harford Fair.
The Harford Fair opens every day at 8:00 a.m. through Saturday.
Organizers say this year they have more than 200 vendors and hope to break their attendance record of 60,000 guests.
