Date of Latest Visit: July 12, 2024
For much of Pennsylvania, midsummer means festival season. For our family, the Berks County Fair is our hometown celebration of agriculture, food and fun.
Held annually in July, the Berks County Fair – formerly known as the Reading Fair – is one of the longest running agricultural fairs in the state. The fair takes place at the Berks County Fairgrounds, located a short distance north of the City of Reading off of Route 183.
Growing up, it was a much larger event, but organizers made a hard reset a few years ago and have been working to build it back up.
This year’s fair marked the return of a true Midway, with carnival rides and games, and the typical fair food stands, after a few years’ absence.
Kids could climb to the top of the funhouse, ride the carousel, or go for a spin in the salt and pepper shaker that loops you upside down.
Through all of the fair’s iterations, the agricultural aspect of it has remained a focal point. Youth spend the week among their peers showing their prized livestock.
Our kids enjoy walking through the rows of cows, sheep and goats that line the open stables. And even though we don’t really know what we’re watching, we’ll take a seat in the small bleachers while the animals are being shown to the judges.
Nearby are the entries into the family living competitions for bakers, gardeners, photographers, crafters and sewists. It’s always fun to see the impressive work being done by local artisans in their chosen paths.
At the far end of the Midway are vendors, along with a few kids’ activities organized by the fair committee. These are the simpler games and crafts, as opposed to the nearly impossible-to-win games found on the Midway.
This is also where you’ll find the entrance to the track. Events during the week have varied year-to-year but generally include tractor pulls and, as was the case on our visit, rodeo.
The Bull Ride Mania rodeo cost $20 for adults ($15 if ordered in advance). This was on top of the $5 general admission price to enter the fair. But the fans didn’t seem to mind as the bleachers were packed to watch two hours of bull riding and barrel racing.
Kids even got in on the action as they were invited to take part in mutton busting – think bull riding but hanging on to the back of a sheep – before the main show got started.
It’s great to see the Berks County Fair starting to grow again. It’s still one of the smaller county fairs, but it’s still a lot of fun for us locals, and I’m excited to see where it will go in the years to come.
When You Go
- There is a $5 parking fee to enter the grounds. Individual admission to the fair is free, but you have to pay for ride tickets and for grandstand admission.
- The fairgrounds are open all day with vendors serving lunch and dinner. Most activities are only available in the evening.
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