Almanac

When an event occurs for 165 consecutive years, or since John Tyler was in the White House and Henry David Thoreau was in his cabin, it has to have something for everyone in the old-fashioned sense of the word. And so it is with the Chemung County fair, which boasts a Senior Day, a Children’s Day, harness racing, bull riding, a demolition derby, a tractor pull, dog shows, poultry shows, dairy shows, a pet parade, antiques, and everything 4-H. Texas country music star Jack Ingram is the headliner. Fair gates open daily from 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults; $2 for children six to twelve; five and under free. Information: (607) 734-1217 or www.chemungcountyfair.com.

America’s top lumberjacks come to The Woodsmen’s Show in Potter County every year to test their mettle and honor northern Pennsylvania’s rich lumber history. Gathering at Cherry Springs State Park, they compete in cross-cut saw, springboard, axe throwing and tree felling, horse pulls, and chainsaw carving. Enjoy food, live music, exhibits, and historical re-enactments including a working lumber camp commemorating Penn’s great Black Forest and the storied life of the woodhick. Pay by the day or buy a weekend pass: $15 adult; $7 children. Information: (814) 435-5010 or www.woodsmenshow.com.

Sip wine, smoke fine cigars and enjoy music on the stone terrace at Rooster Hill Vineyards overlooking Keuka Lake at the Third annual Cigar Lovers Barbecue, August 4 from 7–9 p.m. Terry Smith from Brown’s Cigar Store in Corning will give cigar lessons, while the barbecue comes catered by chef Steve Owens from the Classic Café in Dundee. Cost is $49.95 per person and reservations are required. Information: (315) 536-4773, info@roosterhill.com or www.roosterhill.com.

Hopefully it’ll happen every year, just like the blueberry fields that inspire it: blueberry baked goods, blueberry ice cream, blueberry jams, crafts, games, and plain old blueberry picking. The innagural festival at Berry Fields Farm, sponsored by the Sullivan County Council on the Arts, includes six local musical acts, a Free Family Day, horse and wagon rides, a goat playground, children’s contests, and a twenty-five-mile view on a clear day. August 4 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tickets: $5 adults, $3 ages twelve to eighteen; children under twelve free. August 5 is Family Day, 1-5 p.m. with recorded music only but free to all. Information: (570) 928-8927, info@sullivanarts.org, or www.sullivanarts.org.

Garlic and wine are the pretext for other good things on Seneca Lake, including music, vendors, garlicky food, Finger Lakes chefs’ cooking demonstrations and a Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass Show. It’s the fifteenth annual Garlic Festival at Fox Run Vineyards, 670 Route 14 on the West Shore of Seneca Lake, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission. Information: (800) 636-9786 or www.foxrunvineyards.com

Tioga County’s oldtime county fair, put on proudly since 1854, is a classic: 4-H Shows, beauty queens, monster trucks, handsome Holsteins, antique tractors, racing pigs, demolition derbies, amusement rides, pony rides, bull-riding rodeo, and country, from Big Tiny Young and Penny Eckman to headliner Mel McDaniel. Famed journalist Horace Greeley, who said “Go West, Young Man,” was the headliner in 1859. The fairgrounds are a half-mile off U.S. 6, midway between Wellsboro and Mansfield. It’s $4 a person, $20 for the week. Ages five and under free. Information: (570) 724-3196 or tiogacountyfair.com

America’s most popular sport, no it’s not football, returns to the storied Glen. The Daytona Prototypes of the Grand American Rolex Series make their second appearance at The Glen August 10, followed by NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stars challenging the famed 2.45-mile track in the NASCAR Busch Series during the Zippo 200, August 11. A free Saturday night (August 11) concert and possible celebrity sitings included with admission. In 2006, Miss America stopped by, and Tony Award-winner Kristen Chenoweth sang the National Anthem.

You’re more likely to see Paul Newman in the Finger Lakes this month than Harrison Ford; nonetheless devoted Indiana Jones fans gather for a weekend at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, celebrating “Indy” and his many adventures in movies and television. The weekend includes a large display of Indiana Jones memorabilia, costumes, whip-cracking demonstrations, an Indiana Jones Exhibit, and a 1930s Golden Era Gown Display exhibited by Lorraine Loomis-Konig. Information: (607) 569-2160 or www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org.

Muncy Historical Society’s Annual Antiques Show, now in its thirty-fourth year, is the oldest antique show in Lycoming County and is endorsed by the Pennsylvania Antique Dealers Association. The indoor event at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds features more than fifty juried vendors. It’s held 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and a $4 admission, with a hand stamp, is good for both days. Information: www.muncyhistoricalsociety.org.

Play Ball! The old-time baseball ideals of comraderie and sportsmanship may be rare nowadays, but they’re a reassuring staple at the annual Little League World Series, which brings the best young ballplayers in the world to Williamsport, home of Little League Baseball. Opening with the Grand Slam Parade downtown on August 16, the “Billtown” world series is an international icon and classic Americana at the same time. Information: (570) 326-1921 (See story page XX