The 173nd Allentown Fair returns Wednesday with concerts, rides, food and plenty of family fun.
Running Aug. 27 through Sept. 1, the fair welcomes thousands of visitors for “home-grown fun” centered around the fair’s historic “Home of the Stars” Grandstand.
Here’s what you need to know:
The essentials
When: 4-10 p.m. Aug. 27; noon-10 p.m. Aug 28-31; noon-9 p.m. Sept. 1.
Where: At the Allentown Fairgrounds between 17th and 21st streets and Liberty and Chew streets in Allentown. For GPS directions, use the street address 1703 Liberty St., Allentown. (Note: Liberty Street will run one-way, west, 4-8 p.m. during fair operating hours.)
Parking: Parking is available on site through Tunnel Gate 7 off Liberty Street for $15 per vehicle. Premium parking is available in advance for $30.
About the fair
Started by the Lehigh County Agricultural Society, the Allentown Fair debuted in 1852 on a 4-acre tract in Allentown. It moved to its current location in 1889. In addition to the fair, the Allentown Fairgrounds is home to the Lehigh Valley’s largest trade show facility, the Agri-Plex, as well as the Fairgrounds Farmers Market, the Ritz Barbecue restaurant, the historic Fairgrounds Hotel restaurant, the MainGate Nightclub and the Pines Dinner Theatre.
The fair has hosted millions of visitors over the years.
Ticket prices
Regular admission: $10; kids 12 and under enter free. Purchase tickets online through Ticketmaster or in person at the fair’s box office. Discount $5 tickets are available through Aug. 27.
Opening night, Aug. 27: Admission is $5, or $3 with a food donation to the fair benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley.
Weekdays Under the Wire: Free admission noon-2 p.m. Aug. 28 and 29.
Red, White and Thank You: All active military and veterans with an ID get in free all day Aug. 28.
Seniors: Seniors 65 and over with an ID get in free Sept. 1.
All entertainment is included with fair admission except rides and games on the midway and shows in the grandstand. Gate admissions benefit the mission of the Lehigh County Agricultural Society.
Fair queen contest
Last year’s Allentown Fair Queen Zoie Jones of Kutztown will crown her successor during the annual competition at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Farmerama Stage. Contestants will have a 15-minute interview with the judging panel, compete in an evening gown competition and present a three- to five-minute speech on the topic, “Why you should come to the Great Allentown Fair.” The winner serves as a public representative of the fair, and will go on to compete in the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen Contest in January.
The Allentown Fair Queen contest is open to females ages 16 to 20 who live in Lehigh, Northampton or Berks counties. Winners receive a $1,500 scholarship; $200 goes to the first alternate, and the winner of the Community Service Award receives $250.
The 2025 finalists are:
- Faith Smith, 16, of New Tripoli. A junior at Northwestern Lehigh High School, she is ranked among the top 20 students in her class and is a dedicated Lehigh County 4-H Club member. She is an active volunteer, works at a horse farm and plans to become a large animal veterinarian.
- Catalina Ocasio, 16, of Allentown. Catalina is a sophomore at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and a gifted pianist and flutist who performs with the Community Music School. She volunteers at Sacred Heart and St. Francis churches, and plans to major in education in college.
- Olivia Wisser, 18, of New Tripoli. Olivia is a graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School has held various leadership roles in the Lehigh County 4-H clubs, and works at her family’s dairy farm. She plans to attend Penn State University to major in animal science with a focus on dairy cattle nutrition.
- Cyani Gonzalez, 19, of Allentown. A graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School, she now is a freshman at Northampton Community College, majoring in early childhood education with a minor in special education. Cyani is an active volunteer for a number of organizations and works as a pre-K teacher at St. Elizabeth’s Regional School.
Grandstand concerts
Heart, 7 p.m. Aug. 27. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will headline the fair for the first time.
Alabama, 7 p.m. Aug. 28. The country music superstars will appear with special guest Montgomery Gentry featuring Eddie Montgomery.
Kane Brown, 7 p.m. Aug. 29. This is the country star’s first time headlining the fair’s Grandstand. He’s joined by special guest Kameron Marlowe.
Ace Frehley, Great White and Quiet Riot, 7 p.m. Aug. 30. The iconic KISS guitarist joins forces with classic rock legends Great White and Quiet Riot for a night of rock.
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, 7 p.m. Aug. 31. The comedian and TV star is making his second appearance at the Allentown Fair.
Tickets: allentownfair.com
J&J Demolition Derby
In addition to the grandstand concerts, the J&J Demolition Derby is a huge attraction, bringing full-sized cars to the fairgrounds’ historic racetrack for a crash-and-smash battle until one car remains, becoming the Beast of the East Champion.
When: 5 p.m. Sept. 1
Tickets: $20 adults, $15 for children 12 and under. allentownfair.com
Rides and games by Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment
What’s the Allentown Fair without rides and games?
Cost: All-day wristbands are available for $30 in advance through Aug. 26, and $35 on site.
Hours: 4 p.m. to close Aug. 27 and 28; 2 p.m. to close Aug. 29; 1 p.m. to close Aug. 30-Sept. 1
The operation of mechanical rides is subject to weather and other conditions. No refunds, exchanges or rain checks will be offered.
A look at some of the free entertainment
The Grandstand shows and rides may be ticketed, but there’s plenty to see and do for free during the fair. Here’s a look at some of the popular free entertainment:
Butterfly Kingdom: Learning Adventure: Spend time with hundreds of colorful butterflies and learn about their incredible life cycle in this hands-on exhibit. Multiple shows daily at the Farmerama Theater.
‘Fries Rebellion’ Screening: Produced by the Lower Macungie Historical Society, this award-winning film highlights the violent insurrection in the Lehigh Valley in 1798-99. 8 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Farmerama Theater.
Mighty Mike: Strongman Mighty Mike juggles bowling balls, tears pack of cards and bends pounds of metal at multiple shows throughout the fair.
Dan-Dan the Farmer Man: Dan-Dan and his sarcastic sidekick will keep the audience laughing with silly songs and antics in this family-friendly show. Multiple shows daily.
Concerts on the Red Barn Stage: Catch live performances from Richmond Street Music; Rod Miller, Josh Stott, Ernie Emst & Ryan Levan; Bill Rice; Phil Stahl; Kevin Best & Kim Mechlin; Mike Snyder & Viviane Fusco-Ramirez, Steve Kemery, Billy Nelson, Catfish & Joe; Shaun Miller; Dave Miller; Wyatt Albright and more!
Lil’ Farm Hands: Kids can roll up their sleeves and dig in with fun chores and cool games. Meet and milk “Aggie Hall,” an animatronic talking cow.
Robinson’s Pig Paddling Porkers: Everybody’s favorite “oinkers” are back racing around the turf track and swimming to the finish line in their own Pig-lympic size pool.
Music at Weyerbacher Biergarten: Enjoy free live performances from Girl Crue, Boondock Barons, Scott Marshall Band, The Gelena Brass, Emily Nacchio and TKB TRIO, featuring members of Two of A Kind and The Boondock Barons.
Victoria Circus: Don’t miss jaw-dropping feats, wild laughter and edge-of-your-seat excitement when Victoria Circus brings the magic of the big top to the midway.
Hog Diggity Dog: Animal entertainment featuring a 700-pound hog, 13 rescue dogs and two camels, and plenty of audience participation.
Moodonna: Catch the Allentown Fair mascot roaming the fairgrounds throughout the day.
W. Kris Clayon: This juggling stilt walker can be seen throughout the fairgrounds.
Robbie’s Balloons & More: Watch a farm scene made out of balloons come to life.
Glenn Miller the Big One-Man Band: Don’t miss Glenn Miller singing his own Allentown Fair song and a host of others while accompanied by his accordion, harmonica, trumpet and many more instruments.
Steve Goodtime: Be amazed by jaw-dropping stunts and juggling — all to the tune of hard-rocking guitar solos.
Agri-Plex: See all the competitions, demonstrations and exhibits at the heart of the fair.
Agri-Land: Stroll through the barns in Agri-Land to see the pride of area farms, meet the dedicated farmers and maybe take a selfie or two with their four-legged friends.
Judging Tent: Watch the daily judging of animals, participate in Barnyard Olympics and other farm fun activities happening throughout the week and witness 4-H’ers selling their livestock to the highest bidder during the Lehigh County 4-H Livestock Sale on Saturday.
4-H Livestock Experience: Encounter a host of baby and friendly farm animals at this charming petting zoo run by and benefitting Lehigh County 4-H’ers.
Culinary contests
Food contests and demonstrations will be happening every day, drawing amateur cooks and bakers looking to take home prizes for their master recipes for fruit pies, quiche, mac and cheese, no-bake desserts and much more.
Catch the Farm to Table series where some of the Lehigh Valley’s expert chefs provide demonstrations and culinary tips for you to take home to your kitchen. And, don’t miss out on the three-day Iron Chef Competition, where local chefs go head-to-head competing in this fairgoer favorite.
Participants in the Iron Chef competition are:
- Esteban Morales, director of dining services of Fountain View at Logan Square
- Greenburg Lemus, chef/owner of La Cocina Del Abuelo — Grandpa’s Kitchen
- Paul Rojrattana, chef/owner of La Kang Thai French and La Kang Thai Noodles & Seafood
- Zackary Busch, chef de cuisine of The Club at at Twin Lakes
- Executive Chef Erin Haas of Diana’s Catering & Gourmet Market
- Chef Justin Leak of Thyme Rooftop & Grille
- Angelina Faherty, executive chef of The Club at Twin Lakes
- Courtney Davenport, executive sous chef of The Shelby
The last chef standing will go head-to-head against 2024 Iron Chef Ryan Lukow, executive chef of Savory Grille.
Vote for your favorite foods
Allentown Fair President Daryl Urmy has issued a challenged to food vendors: Come up with a twist on fair food and compete for a prize as best new item.
Participating vendors will be marked with a red, diamond-shaped sign, and a map can be found on the fair’s website, Allentownfair.com. Here’s a look at the contenders:
Cheesy Pepperoni Roll Dog from Buns on the Go: Beef hot dog rolled in empanada dough with pepperoni and cheese then deep fried
The Old Smokey from Pocono Potato Chip Co.: Locally grown potatoes made to order into twisted gourmet potato chips, topped with slow-smoked pulled pork, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, sour cream, house made pickled red onions and house made pickled jalapenos
Fresh Strawberry Parfait from Kopper Penny Koncessions: Layers of graham cracker crust, whipped cream and fresh strawberries, served with or without chocolate sauce
Dinky’s Bacon Jam Sundae from Dinky’s Ice Cream Truck: Choice of ice cream topped with homemade bacon jam, a piece of bacon, whipped cream and a cherry
Fair Flight from Uncle Louie G: Choose four flavors from among 20 different gourmet Italian ices
Character Cotton Candy from Sugar Rush Character Cotton Candy: Cotton candy spun into playful character shapes like puppies, Hello Kitty, Among Us, Ninja Turtles, Minions and more
YGP BBQ Waffle Cone from You Got Pork’d: Sweet waffle cone stuffed with mac ‘n’ cheese, your choice of pulled pork, brisket or smoked chicken, and topped with house made barbecue sauce
Jailhouse Rock Ice Cream Nachos from Mon & Mel’s Sweet Scoops Ice Creak Truck: Plate of waffle chips topped with two scoops of ice cream, banana slices, peanut butter sauce, marshmallow sauce, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and bacon bits
Mac & Cheese on a Stick from First National Bank of Hot Dogs: A secret blend of cheese and elbow macaroni dipped in corn dog batter and fried
Chocolate Birthday Cake Kettle Corn from Hoff’s Kettle Corn: Chocolate birthday cake-flavored kettle corn with sprinkles
Dutch Dubai Chocolate Delight from Amish Donuts: A doughnut take on the viral pistachio kataifi chocolate bar in Dubai
Pambazo from La Casita de Familia: Chili-dipped roll stuffed with chicken or chorizo, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, queso fresco and sour cream.
Shawarma from Hot and Fresh Grill: Chicken or beef mixed with onions and peppers, served with lettuce, white sauce and cheese
Hog Wild Fries from Famous Fries: Fresh cut fries topped with cheddar cheese, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, house made ranch, coleslaw and a tender pork rib
Peach Short Cake from Bissingers Apple Dumplings: Homemade short cake with fresh peaches and whipped cream, with option to add milk or ice cream
The Buckeye Sundae from Taste Our Balls: Homemade deep-fried buckeye (chocolate peanut butter) balls with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry
Island Girl Wings from Shugar Shack Soulfood: Oven-roasted jerk wings with pineapple mango habanero sauce
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich from Elegant Eats: Buttermilk fried chicken breast on a buttery brioche bun with crispy candied bacon, beefsteak tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, dill pickles and a house-made roasted garlic aioli
Danny’s Delicious Saucy Meatballs from Danny’s Fine Foods: Slow-roasted ham loaf meatballs served with special dipping sauce featuring brown sugar and secret ingredients, or traditional barbecue sauce
Chicharron con Guacamole & Chips from La Cocina del Abuelo — Grandpa’s Kitchen: Crispy fried pork skin with guacamole and chips
P3W (Pop Pop’s Petal-Wich) from Brass Rail: Cheesesteak on a toasted roll with cooper cheese, fried onions and petal sauce.
More fair fun
From scrapple-eating and mullet contests on Aug. 30 to a celebration of Hometown Heroes, there’s something for everyone at the Allentown Fair.
For more information: allentownfair.com
