Long Island Fair Returns to Old Bethpage Village October 1 - 4

The 167th annual Long Island Fair, one of America’s oldest agricultural festivals, will be held from October 1 - 4 at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, announced Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

The family-friendly festival, one of the most popular fall events on Long Island, has a range of attractions, including the Indian River Olde Time Lumberjack Show, exotic animal and reptile shows, pony and wagon rides, as well as the amazing Flying Horses Carousel, a replica of a 19th-century folk art carousel.

In addition, for the third year in a row, the Fair will incorporate a carnival with a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, and other amusements and games appropriate for children.  (The carnival fees are separate from the Old Bethpage Village entrance fee.)

Children can take part in fun-filled contests such as corn husking and children’s potato sack races, while adults can test their skill and strength at two-person cross-cut sawing in friendly competition for ribbons and prizes. The livestock barn includes cattle, sheep, goats, horses, rabbits and other animals, while the livestock demonstration ring will feature the beautiful horse-drawn carriages of the Paumanok Driving Club and the miniature horses of the Keystone Miniatures Club. 

In the sprit of the historic nature of the Fair, financial services firm Wells Fargo & Company will have a replica of a famous Wells Fargo coach with a handsome team of four horses on the Fairgrounds and in the historic Village for the event. Another addition to this year's Fair is "Miss Emily’s School of Dramatics," involving audience participation storytelling. Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders will again be encamped at the Village and will provide scheduled demonstrations of a soldier’s life.

The Fair will also present a variety of historical period musicians, dancers, jugglers, mimes and other artists. For example, a giant entertainment tent will be home for a “Punch and Judy” puppet show, a magician, and musical performances by the folk group Stout. Baseball fans can enjoy the end-of-season championship matches of OBVR's Old Time Base Ball League, which re-creates vintage “base ball” as it was played in the latter half of the 1800s, with teams competing in authentic uniforms and playing under the names of Long Island clubs of that era.

The Long Island Fair, the New York state-recognized county fair for Queens, Nassau and Suffolk, 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.

The Fair, which was founded in 1842 and became known as the Queens County Agricultural Fair, is unique among New York State County Fairs in that it maintains much of the historical ambiance of the 19th century. In 1866, it was renamed the Mineola Fair when it moved to a permanent location in Mineola. The fair moved to Roosevelt Raceway in 1953 and to the newly opened Old Bethpage Village in 1970, where it is held annually on a 12-acre re-creation of the original Mineola Fairgrounds.

Old Bethpage Village provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a re-created mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres. Hours are Wed. - Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Entrance fees are $8 for children 5 - 12 (those under 5 are free), seniors and volunteer firefighters; and $12 for adults. It is located at 1303 Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage; for more information, call 516-572-8400.  This year’s Fair is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Friendly’s Restaurants, Wachovia Bank and Wells Fargo & Company. 

For more information about the Long Island Fair, visit www.lifair.org.