ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Ringing in its 174th year, the Great Allentown Fair welcomes generations of families while also highlighting agriculture and entertainment alike in the Lehigh Valley.

Juggling work and fun is what Shane Hansen with Rock-N-Circus does full time.

For him, performing his rock and roll themed stunt show at events like the Great Allentown Fair is in his blood.

“My father taught me to juggle down in Florida, where we live, with three oranges when I was 7 years old. So, I’ve been in the circus all my life. My parents came from Europe in a circus,” said Hansen.

If you’re not like Hansen doing a 65-foot-high dive or working a stand at the fair, you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of guests visiting the grounds through Labor Day making it a staple to generations for the last 174 years.

In Dominic Germano’s case, he falls under both categories, now owning the Fairgrounds Hotel.

“My parents, Joan and Skip, founded the location in 1980, and I’m second generation.”

Opening the restaurant’s first food stand offering seafood, as well as a Hess’s inspired mile-high strawberry pie, he says the fair is the highlight of his year.

“I can’t imagine leaving summer without it. It’s a great time to reconnect with old friends, see some great shows, and just to come together,” he explained.

Although the fair has seen rainy days since its start Wednesday, brighter days are ahead and exhibits inside the Agricultural Hall can provide cover and a history lesson.

Highlighting America 250, the Great Allentown Fair Foundation also puts a spotlight on Camp Crane.

“From 1917 to 18, that was two years when there was no Great Allentown Fair because the fairgrounds had been turned over to the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps as a training camp,” said its vice chairman, Eric Stas.

The foundation helps beautify the grounds, support local agriculture, and raise money for student scholarships.

Stas says without the community’s support of donations and participation in events such as its charity auction, the fair wouldn’t be what it is today.

The Great Allentown Fair is open Friday through Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. and on Labor Day from 12 to 9 p.m.

For a full schedule of events, you can head to the Great Allentown Fair website.