CLEARFIELD – Last month, the Clearfield County Volunteer Fire Department Fair & Park Board announced there will be changes in the gate admission to the fair. The intent was to provide a quality amusement company at a reasonable cost. The board worked diligently with Bates Bros. Amusements to reach an agreement that could satisfy both groups.
Gate admission for ages 4 through 65 is $6. Admission includes all day access to the amusement rides. Those under age 4 and over 65 (when medicare card is presented at the gate) will receive free admission.
In addition to harness racing, David H. Litz grove stage entertainment, fair exhibits, petting zoo and animal racing, paid admission will also include access to the grandstand for the horse pull and Monday’s fireman’s parade.
The board said that due to the high expense of the other grandstand events, it is not feasible at this time to include them with paid admission. The average cost of national entertainment is continually going up, usually exceeding six figures, according to the board. This price does not include the expense of lighting, sound, stage rental and personnel for ushers and stage crew.
The season gate pass has been revamped to be more user friendly. It will be sold for $15 and contain five admission coupons. The coupons will be perforated so that one half is given at the gate for admission and the other half can be presented at the carnival ticket booth to purchase a ride pass for $5. This provides the purchaser the option as to whether they want to take advantage of the low rate for the carnival.
In past years, carnival groups held pay-one-price days that cost $12 and had set times. Under the new format, a person will be paying a third of what it cost last year and can ride from open to close on clean, quality mechanical rides.
The ability to purchase a gate pass at the time of purchasing a show ticket is under consideration. However, being the first year for this type of admission and taking into consideration the legalities of the Clearfield Borough Amusement Tax, a solid plan on how to handle certain issues has not yet been worked out.
“There are many aspects of putting the fair together that the public is not aware of, thus it is not always easy to understand why and how decisions are made. We are all volunteers who wish to put on a fair that has something for everyone; draws tourism to our community; and honors our agricultural history,” said Brenda Hunter, publicity director.
“I hope our community attends this year’s fair and discovers new events or exhibits they did not know existed. Two of our livestock shows have been moved to the early evening, the lamb show on Tuesday and the swine show on Wednesday, which will allow for a greater audience to learn about agriculture. If you have never seen the hardworking kids of 4-H/FFA show their animals, then don’t miss your chance at this year’s fair!”
A press announcement is slated for April to announce the full grandstand lineup. Check the fair’s Web site for fair, Thrills in the Hills, Country Jammin’ In the Valley and more event information.