Ready for Grange Fair? Your guide to tickets, live music, food, daily deals & more
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- Grange Fair returns Aug. 14–23 with concerts, rides, food and family events.
- Daily admission is $8, while weekly passes cost $25. Kids 11 and under enter for free.
- Admission and wristband discounts are available for seniors, students, veterans and more.
Fresh off of a major anniversary, a beloved Centre County tradition is back this week to wrap up a busy summer in Happy Valley.
The 151st annual Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair officially kicks off with opening ceremonies on Thursday evening. This year’s schedule of events, which stretches through Aug. 23, features a wide range of live entertainment, amusement rides, games, vendors, exhibits and more for all ages.
Whether you’re a longtime Grange Fair pro or a newcomer planning to stop by for the first time, here’s what you should know about this year’s festival.
Directions, parking and camping
Centre County’s Grange Fair brands itself as the only remaining tenting fair in the nation, according to its brochure. Each year, guests pitch roughly 1,000 tents and park about 1,500 RVs in Centre Hall, and thousands more make the drive to visit for the day.
Guests can access Centre Hall’s Grange Park through Gate 1 along 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 to program their devices: 169 Homan Lane, Centre Hall, PA 16828.
Single-day parking at the fairgrounds costs $7, while weekly passes are available for $25. Credit cards payments are accepted at all gates, but they are subject to processing fees.
Guests can also pay $40 per night to camp at the Grange Park. Space in the overflow RV lot are considered primitive and do not offer access to water or electricity, but generator use is permitted daily until midnight. The lot itself opens starting at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, and will remain open moving RVs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the festival’s duration.
For more information about overnight camping, contact the park by calling 814-380-1893.
Grange Fair will again provide a free tram service to help guests around the fairgrounds. You can hitch a ride at any one of several stops across the festival’s grounds between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. every day but Friday, Aug. 15 (1 to 9 p.m.) and Thursday, Aug. 21 (3 to 9 p.m.).
What are Grange Fair admission prices?
Single-day Grange Fair admission costs $8, but children 11 years old and under can get in for free. Weekly admission passes are also available for $25. Daily admission ticket sales start Friday, Aug. 15.
You can pay for admission upon arrival at the fairgrounds’ gates or at the Grange Fair office, located at 237 S. Hoffer Ave. in Centre Hall and open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Some activities, namely amusement rides and attractions, require separate admission fees. Passes to two separate areas hosting Bartlebaugh Amusements and Garbrick Amusements rides require the purchase of a $25 one-day wristband, but some discounts throughout the fair can help you save a few bucks.
The Grange Fair will offer the following discounts on parking, admission and amusement ride wristbands this summer, according to its brochure:
- Bartlebaugh and Garbrick wristbands are on sale for $10 each on Thursday, Aug. 14, as part of the fair’s move-in day special. Weekly wristbands for each amusements group are on sale for $99.
- Those who buy a Bartlebaugh or Garbrick wristband can get another for free on Sunday, Aug. 17.
- As part of the fair’s Kids’ Day, youth and high school-aged guests receive free admission until 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18. Both Bartlebaugh and Garbrick will sell wristbands for $10 and offer $2 ride vouchers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. before Bartlebaugh wristbands ($15) and Garbrick wristbands ($14) increase in price from 5 p.m. to closing later that day.
- College students can receive half off daily admission rates with a valid ID on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Those who purchase a Garbrick Amusements daily wristband will receive a free T-shirt while supplies last.
- To honor the Grange Fair’s Military Appreciation Day, active military members and veterans will receive free admission with proof of service on Wednesday, Aug. 20, though parking rates still apply. Bartlebaugh Amusements will offer $15 daily wristband sales completed with an active military ID, while Garbrick Amusements will sell its passes for $12.50.
- Grange Fair guests ages 62 and older will receive free admission as part of Senior Citizens Day on Thursday, Aug. 21. Garbrick Amusements’ daily wristbands are up for grabs for $15 as part of the fair’s “parade day special.”
- Garbrick Amusements’ daily wristbands are on sale for $20 on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Live entertainment at the fair
Live music and other entertainment acts are included with your Grange Fair admission.
The festival’s grandstand acts will perform headliner shows each night of the fair except Sunday, Aug. 17. Concerts are slated for 8 p.m. at the fairgrounds’ main stage.
Country artist Darryl Worley gets this year’s grandstand slate started on Friday before more country acts, Christian rock bands and variety groups take the stage later in the festival schedule. Some of the slate’s highlights include Johnny Cash tribute artist Terry Lee Goffee, Christian music duo Caleb & John and country rock artist Chris Woodward and Shindiggin, led by a Huntingdon County native.
The Grange Fair also features a wide range of hands-on exhibits, performances and shows, including motorsports shows, 5K runs and organized walks, parades, dance contests, cornhole tournaments and more.
One major highlight is the Grange Fair rodeo, scheduled for Aug. 19 and complete with line dancing and plenty of bull-riding. Guests can also see tractor and truck pulls, goat and dairy shows, draft horse halter classes and more at the track and equine center.
Each year’s Grange Fair starts with the crowning of a new Centre County Grange Fair queen. This year’s honoree will receive her crown at a special ceremony at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Southside Stage before the festival officially begins.
Check out the Grange Fair’s daily schedules for an in-depth look at upcoming entertainment offerings scattered across the fairgrounds.
Where to eat and drink at the fairgrounds
Countless vendors are on hand at the Grange Fair to offer a wide range of meals, treats, drinks and more. You can satisfy your cravings with typical festival fare like fresh-cut french fries and funnel cakes or sample local specialties like pierogies, sticky buns and pies.
Check out the Grange Fair’s concessions and vendors directory to see what’s available at this year’s festival (and where you’ll find them).
Mobile app helps guests stay updated
Guests can download the free Grange Fair mobile app to stay updated throughout the festival.
Those feeling overwhelmed by Grange Fair’s many choices can filter through food options by category or location and browse daily schedules to see when and where to find their favorite activities. The app, complete with a map of the fairgrounds, also includes information regarding tickets, parking and amusement ride specials.
About Grange Fair
The Grange Fair celebrated its 150th year in 2024 and remains a Centre County fixture focused on celebrating local agriculture, providing family-friendly fun and offering an end-of-summer boost for the region’s economy.
Roughly 3,000 people showed up for the first rendition of the fair in 1874, when it was named the “Granger’s Pic-nik,” according to the Centre County Historical Society. The event moved to the Grange Park in 1890 and blossomed into the enormous summer celebration we know today by staying popular and relevant through major challenges over the last century and a half, including natural disasters, economic downturns and a pandemic.
Part of the Grange Fair’s origin is attributed to its role as an extension of the national Grange mission, which formed in 1867 as a farmers’ association to sponsor social activities, help connect suppliers and rebuild the nation following the American Civil War. Today, 11 granges still operate in Centre County to help advocate for farmers and their communities.
For more information on all things Grange Fair, visit grangefair.com.
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