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.<\/p>\n
Juggling work and fun is what Shane Hansen with Rock-N-Circus does full time.<\/p>\n
For him, performing his rock and roll themed stunt show at events like the Great Allentown Fair is in his blood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father taught me to juggle down in Florida, where we live, with three oranges when I was 7 years old. So, I\u2019ve been in the circus all my life. My parents came from Europe in a circus,\u201d said Hansen.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not like Hansen doing a 65-foot-high dive or working a stand at the fair, you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
In Dominic Germano\u2019s case, he falls under both categories, now owning the Fairgrounds Hotel.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents, Joan and Skip, founded the location in 1980, and I\u2019m second generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opening the restaurant\u2019s first food stand offering seafood, as well as a Hess\u2019s inspired mile-high strawberry pie, he says the fair is the highlight of his year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t imagine leaving summer without it. It\u2019s a great time to reconnect with old friends, see some great shows, and just to come together,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Highlighting America 250, the Great Allentown Fair Foundation also puts a spotlight on Camp Crane.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom 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,\u201d said its vice chairman, Eric Stas.<\/p>\n
The foundation helps beautify the grounds, support local agriculture, and raise money for student scholarships.<\/p>\n
Stas says without the community\u2019s support of donations and participation in events such as its charity auction, the fair wouldn\u2019t be what it is today.<\/p>\n
The Great Allentown Fair is open Friday through Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. and on Labor Day from 12 to 9 p.m.<\/p>\n