Centre County’s Grange Fair turns 150. Your guide to food, parking, live music & more

Ready to wrap up a busy summer of festivals in central Pennsylvania? Believe it or not, it’s almost time for the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair’s return to Happy Valley.

The annual summer festival celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024. This year’s Grange Fair will stretch from Aug. 16 to 24 and feature a packed schedule of live entertainment, rides, games and vendors offering something for nearly every guest.

Whether you are planning your family’s annual trip or are interested in stopping by for the first time, here’s what you need to know about visiting this year’s festival.

How do I get to the Grange Fair? How much does parking cost?

The Grange Fair markets itself as the only remaining tenting fair in the nation, according to this year’s brochure. The festival welcomes roughly 1,000 tents and 1,500 RVs to Centre Hall each summer in addition to many more guests who visit for the day.

The Grange Park in Centre Hall hosts the festival each summer. To get there, drivers should enter the fairgrounds through Gate 1 (Potter Street), Gate 3 (off of Route 144) or Gate 4 (through Homan Lane off of Route 45). Drivers should use the following GPS address 169 Homan Lane, Centre Hall, PA 16828.

Single-day parking at the fairgrounds costs $7, while weekly passes are available for $25. Credit card sales are accepted at all gates, but they are subject to processing fees.

Those hoping to camp at Grange Park can do so for $40 per night. Spaces in the overflow camping area are considered “primitive” and don’t offer access to water or electricity, though generator use is permitted until midnight each day.

The fairgrounds’ overflow camping area opened Thursday, and will remain open between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. throughout the nine-day fair. A few rules are enforced for the area, including a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m.

For more information about overnight camping, contact Grange Fair organizers by calling 814-380-1893.

Need help getting around the fairgrounds? Hitch a ride with the Grange Fair’s free tram service, which provides transportation around the festival’s grounds through several different stops. Service is available from at least 3 to 9 p.m. each day, though a few days begin tram service at 11 a.m.

How about Grange Fair admission?

Single-day admission starts at $8 per person for guests 12 years and older, while weekly passes are available for $25. Admission is free for children 11 years old and younger.

You can purchase Grange Fair parking and admission passes at the fairgrounds’ gates or at the fair’s office, located at 237 S. Hoffer Ave. in Centre Hall.

Once you’ve made it into the fairgrounds, you’ll need to pay additional fees if you hope to gain access to two separate areas hosting rides and attractions from Bartlebaugh Amusements and Garbrick Amusements. Access to each area requires the purchase of a $25 wristband good for one day, but a few discounts are available throughout the fair cycle this summer.

The Grange Fair will offer the following discounts on admission and amusement ride wristbands this year, according to its brochure:

• Bartlebaugh and Garbrick will offer $10 daily wristbands and weekly wristband passes for $99 Thursday, Aug. 15, as campers celebrate move-in day at the Grange Park.
• The purchase of a $25 daily wristband lets a parent ride for free Sunday, Aug. 18, as the Grange Fair celebrates its 150th anniversary.
• Children up through high school age receive free admission until 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Additionally, Bartlebaugh and Garbrick are reducing their rates. You can get a daily wristband for $10 or pay $2 per ride between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or pay $14 for a wristband starting at 5 p.m.
• Students with a valid college or university ID receive half-price admission Tuesday, Aug. 20. Garbrick will offer a free t-shirt with the purchase of a $25 daily wristband while supplies last.
• Active military members and veterans receive free admission with proof of service Wednesday, Aug. 21. Bartlebaugh will offer a $15 daily wristband for active military members, while Garbrick will offer a half-price discount on its $25 daily wristband.
• Guests ages 62 years old and above receive free admission Thursday, Aug. 22. Garbrick will offer daily wristbands for $15.
• You can get $5 off of Garbrick’s daily wristband Saturday, Aug. 24.

Live entertainment

Although separate passes are required for amusement rides, live entertainment is included in the price of Grange Fair admission.

No events are bigger than each festival’s slate of grandstand acts, which perform headliner shows each day of the fair. This year’s concerts are slated for 8 p.m. each day.

Two-time Grammy nominee and country music star Jo Dee Messina kicks things off with a grandstand performance Friday. Other grandstand acts on the docket this year include 90s country music star Aaron Tippin, 50s and 60s rock ‘n’ roll tribute band The Van-Dells and the Beach Boys tribute band Surf’s Up.

The nine-day festival also features a wide range of hands-on exhibits, performances and shows, including motorsports shows, 5K runs, parades, dance contests, rodeos, cornhole tournaments and more.

One of the Grange Fair’s biggest highlights is the crowning of each year’s Centre County Grange Fair queen. 2024’s honoree received her crown at a ceremony Wednesday evening before the festival officially began.

The Grange Fair will host several exclusive events Sunday, Aug. 18 to ring in its 150th anniversary, including an antique tractor and car parade at 1 p.m. and the premiere of a Grange Fair film at 8:30 p.m. Stop by the grandstand for free cupcakes at 7:30 p.m.

Check out the Grange Fair’s daily schedules for an in-depth look at upcoming entertainment offerings.

Food and drink

Each day at the Grange Fair offers a wide range of things to eat and drink. You can chow down on traditional festival fare like french fries and milkshakes or check out specialty items offered by local vendors, including apple dumplings and sticky buns.

To get an idea of what should be on tap, check out the Grange Fair’s 2023 concessions and vendors directory. Fair organizers have not yet responded to a Centre Daily Times request for 2024’s directory.

Staying connected

Check out the free Centre County Grange Fair mobile app to view daily schedules, navigate the fairground map, find vendors and more. The app is available for free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

How did the festival get started?

As it reaches a major milestone, the Grange Fair continues serving and entertaining Centre County families while still celebrating local agriculture, providing family-friendly fun and offering an end-of-summer boost for the region’s economy.

According to the Centre County Historical Society, roughly 3,000 people showed up for the first fair in 1874 and chowed down in Centre Hall during what was then named the “Granger’s Pic-nic.” The annual event would weather through natural disasters, economic downturns, World War II and even the COVID-19 pandemic in the following decades while blossoming into the enormous summer celebration we know today.

The Grange Fair began in part as a local extension of the national Grange mission, which formed in 1867 as a farmers’ association that sponsored social activities, connected with suppliers and helped rebuild the nation following the American Civil War. Eleven Granges still operate in Centre County today to help advocate for farmers and serve local communities.

For more information on all things Grange Fair, visit grangefair.com.

This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 5:59 AM.

Matt DiSanto

Centre Daily Times

814-231-4616

Matt is a 2022 Penn State graduate. Before arriving at the Centre Daily Times, he served as Onward State’s managing editor and a general assignment reporter at StateCollege.com. Support my work with a digital subscription