Operating a pedal tractor is harder than it looks — especially when you’re a grown adult powering a steel sled stacked with 45‑pound weights.
But on Saturday at the Oley Valley Community Fair, Kelsey Schlegel made it look almost easy.
Schlegel pedaled 39 feet, 3 inches to win the women’s adult pedal tractor pull on the fair’s closing day, outdistancing her closest competitor by more than 3 feet. The Oley Valley High School graduate said she’s been competing in pedal tractor pulls since childhood.
“It’s a competition for the whole valley,” she said after receiving her blue ribbon. “It’s the biggest competition — this and the hay bale throwing are the two biggest ones. Everybody comes around and they’re just like, ‘Oh, we have to compete.’ It’s fun.”
The event is simple in concept but punishing in execution. As the tractor moves forward, a weighted sled increases resistance.
“That bottom piece of the sled moves up as they go further and it creates more resistance, so it gets harder as you go further,” she explained.
By the 30‑foot mark, she said, “it starts really trying to throw the brakes on you.”
Schlegel credits years of familiarity — and some athletic background — for her success.
“I played softball and field hockey in high school,” she said. “My parents and I have pretty much been doing this since I was little.”
A Fair Steeped in Tradition
The pedal tractor pull was one of dozens of contests and attractions that filled the fairgrounds on Saturday, the final day of the fair’s 79th year. Fair president Kevin Bieber said crowds rebounded after Thursday’s opener, which came under the threat of rain.
Fairgoers look over classic vehicles during the Oley Valley Community Fair on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“Yesterday was packed,” he said of Friday’s turnout, adding that Saturday’s sunny skies and low‑70s temperatures set the stage for another strong day.
Among the fair’s signature events is the pumpkin weigh‑off, held the day before it officially opens. This year’s heaviest pumpkin tipped the scales at 693 pounds, with nine adult entries and 17 youth contestants. Weather challenges reduced some growers’ yields, Bieber said.
Fairgoers explored revamped agricultural exhibits and a new America 250th decorated cookie contest. Best of Show went to Jena Moyer, a Twin Valley School District math teacher who entered on a whim.
Jen Readinger of Alsace Township points to her photo of her dog Jovie that won a ribbon in the domestic animal category of the photography exhibit at the Oley Valley Community Fair. (BIILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
One of her close friends planted the idea that she should enter a baking decorating contest because her baked goods always look so attractive.
Her platter featured star‑shaped cookies in red, white and blue surrounding a centerpiece cookie piped with “USA 250.”
The annual photo contest drew numerous contestants. In the pet division, Alsace Township resident Jen Readinger decided to enter a candid shot of her Staffordshire terrier, Jovie, sporting an ear-to-ear smile near the campfire during one of her family’s camping trips.
“She looked to be just happy as a clam,” Readinger said.
Readinger said she has enjoyed photography since taking a class on the subject in high school but never took it beyond the hobbyist level. It was the first photo contest she has entered, and she got a ninth-place ribbon.
Food, family and familiar faces
For many, the food stands are as much a draw as the competitions. At a picnic table near the Eddinger Propane French Fries Stand, Lucas Daniels, 17, of Blandon waited for his father to return with fries before digging into a hoagie and burger.
Lucas Daniels, 17, a senior at Fleetwood High School, digs into a serving of fries during the Oley Valley Community Fair on Saturday, (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Kristin Lutz and Jordan Mease, one of the pastors, supervise the New Life Bible Fellowship Church soda and ice cream stand at the Oley Valley Community Fair. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Daniels, a Fleetwood High School senior, said he’s been coming to the fair for many years, a tradition his grandmother Donna Wenz remembers beginning with stroller visits.
Nearby, volunteers from New Life Bible Fellowship Church staffed the ice cream and soda stand, a role they’ve taken on for several years. Kristen Lutz said Thursday’s rain slowed business, but things picked up considerably on Friday and Saturday.