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WOODSTOCK — The 158th annual Woodstock Fair, always Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 3), will be rockin’ into the night this year.
Food, games, rides, agricultural exhibits, contests, and classic rock music will combine to create the fun atmosphere that is the trademark of this northeastern Connecticut institution. Tickets to the fair are $12 for adults; $8 for senior citizens and active military with an ID; 10 and younger admitted free. For more updates on this year’s Woodstock Fair, go to woodstockfair.com
The Main Stage will host doubleheader headliners Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.
Aug. 31 VoicePlay, an award-winning, world-renowned a cappella quintet and theatre show, will take to the stage at 6:30 p.m. The vocal percussion group, which has appeared on national television will delight with its original, imaginative and, sometimes, ridiculous stage show.
Following VoicePlay will be The Stray Cat, Lee Rocker. Rocker is well known for his giant, upright double bass that he played as a member of The Stray Cats (“Rock This Town,” “The Stray Cat Strut”) and he will perform all of the group’s hits.
Sept. 1, two groups that dominated the music scene in the 1960s will take center stage. At 2:30 p.m., the group that the television show, “The Partridge Family” was based on, The Cowsills, will perform. Originally from Newport, R.I., the Cowsills will perform “The Rain, The Park & Other Things (Flower Girl)” and other hits.
At 8 p.m., another blast from the past, The Lovin’ Spoonful (“Summer in the City”) will perform.
It’s another doubleheader Sept. 2 with Foghat at 2:30 p.m. and .38 Special at 8 p.m. Foghat (“Slow Ride,”) returns to the Woodstock Fair while .38 Special (“Rockin’ into the Night,”“Hold On Loosley”) makes their debut.
And on Sept. 3, the Plain White T’s (“Hey There Delilah)” will close out the 2018 Fair with a show at 4 p.m.
Sept. 3, also performing on the Main Stage, will be Variety Extravaganza featuring comedy juggler Niels Duinker and comedy magician Jessica Jane, the Great Garage Band Reunion and the Billy Pilgrim Band.
The restoration work on the Main Stage grandstand is continuing and it will be open in time for this year’s fair.
The South Stage at the Woodstock Fair also has a variety-filled lineup of contests, games and entertainment.
Aug. 31 the Golf Cart Karaoke Contest takes place at 8:30 p.m. with the Old Time Fiddlers Club and Still Pickin’ performing in the afternoon.
The music of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and more will delight those watching when the Dynamite Rhythm Band takes to the South Stage at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 1. The Sept. 1 fare includes the Master Woodstock Fair Chef competition, the Senior Grapefruit Bowling Contest, the Flapjack Toss contest and the Country Karaoke contest.
Sept. 2 highlights include the country sounds of the Mychael David Band at 5:30 p.m. and the 10-piece, Souls on Fire Band at 8:30 p.m. in addition to Dennis the Magician and both the youth chocolate cream pie eating contest and blueberry pie eating contest.
The South Stage closes out Sept. 3 with a staple of the Woodstock Fair, the East Woodstock Cornet Band at noon and the Positive NRG Band at 3:30 p.m. along with three more fun contests.
All shows are free with paid admission to the Fair.
Connecticut’s largest agricultural fair, the Woodstock Fair - run by the non-profit Woodstock Agricultural Society- draws well over 175,000 people to the state’s “Quiet Corner” on an annual basis on Labor Day weekend.
The Fair prides itself on its commitment to agriculture with barns featuring locally bred animals, including a huge horse show which draws competitors from all over New England. There are other animal competitions and a birthing center where fairgoers get to experience the magic of animals being born before their eyes.
The Woodstock Fair also features the Brunn Barn display; a real vintage barn stocked with all the equipment of yesteryear in a setting which allows fairgoers to experience what life was like on the farm.
The pull area features animal and mechanical competitions and there are also food, fruit and vegetable, photography and giant pumpkin displays and competitions.
Fiesta Shows brings an assortment of rides attractive to both the young and old and everyone in between. There is a wide variety of food offerings by local non-profits and regional vendors.
Go to: Woodstockfair.com for updates.
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