Preparations for the annual Lackawanna County Heritage Fair are underway at Montage Mountain Resorts in Scranton as the four-day fixture of late spring in Northeast Pennsylvania returns this week.<\/p>\n
It opens Thursday at 4 p.m. and runs through Sunday, offering families and other fairgoers access to the resort\u2019s popular waterpark, unlimited carnival rides, live entertainment, a rich assortment of food options and more for the modest price of admission.<\/p>\n
The weather should also cooperate for much of the four-day fair, with higher temperatures forecasted Thursday through Saturday ahead of a slight cool down Sunday, AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus said. Temperatures touching the upper 80s most days should be especially good news for fairgoers eager to enjoy the waterpark attractions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a pretty dry week,\u201d Duffus said. \u201cBy the time we get to around Thursday and Friday you are going to see those temperatures start to creep up. On Thursday we\u2019ve got a high of 87. It\u2019s going to be sunny to partly sunny, so it\u2019s going to be a nice day but getting a little bit warmer there. And then on Friday \u2026 we have intervals of clouds and sunshine with a high of 89.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s high is also expected to reach about 87, continuing the trend, though Duffus said there is a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm and showers breaking up the mostly-dry day. High temperatures Sunday, the last day of the fair, are likely to linger in the upper 70s and could near 80, but \u201cthere will be a chance of some pop-up showers and a thunderstorm on Sunday as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While less-than-ideal weather in prior years sometimes put a damper on the fair, organizers are encouraged by this year\u2019s forecast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere the weather is concerned, we lit every novena candle we could get our hands on,\u201d Lackawanna County Fair and Recreation Authority Chairman Armand Olivetti joked Tuesday. \u201cWell any outdoor event, but the fair in particular because of the waterpark, is completely weather-dependent, so it\u2019s great news to hear that the weather is going to be inviting for people to come up and take advantage of the waterpark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s the reason why we have the fair up there,\u201d he continued. \u201cTo give families a chance to come up and for a decent price enjoy a waterpark as well as the rides and the food and the entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to waterpark access, a unique element of and major draw for the fair since its inaugural year in 2019, this year\u2019s edition features a new carnival vendor, Sunshine Shows LLC of Middleburg, and a \u201cspectacular\u201d Saturday evening fireworks show to celebrate the nation\u2019s 250th anniversary this year. It will be the second pyrotechnic show in as many nights, as the fair will feature fireworks on Friday night, too.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s entertainment schedule also includes a free \u201cHeritage Heatwave\u201d wrestling event running from 6-8 p.m., another new addition to the fair that complements other offerings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to mix it up and have something there for everybody,\u201d Olivetti said.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s opening day will be the shortest, but could prove the most affordable for families on a budget seeking some midweek fun. A special deal offering four Thursday tickets for just $40, a discount of $5 per ticket, remains available online via lackawannacountyheritagefairs.com<\/a> or montagemountainresorts.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Standard admission at the gate is otherwise $15 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and $20 on Saturday, which has historically been the fair\u2019s busiest day. Presale tickets are also available online for any of the four days.<\/p>\n \u201cWe make a conscious effort and a deliberate decision every year to hold that ticket price as close as we can to $15 so that families can come out together and enjoy the benefits of a day at the waterpark, good food and entertainment, and to take the kids up to the carnival grounds \u2026 for the rides,\u201d Olivetti said. \u201cIf you get six hours at the pool and three or four hours on the rides you\u2019ve had a great family entertainment package right there.\u201d<\/p>\n Fair hours run Thursday from 4-10 p.m.; Friday from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Waterpark hours end two hours before the fair closes each day.<\/p>\n