Vrrooom! Popular Chevron Outdoor Area acts continue to draw crowds at Fayette County Fair
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
In this file photo from 2015, The Avenger leaps over a line of junk cars and thrills the crowd in the Chevron Outdoor Arena at the Fayette County Fair. The 2018 fair is set for July 26-Aug. 4. John F. Brothers Herald-Standard
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
Car #317 catches a little air during the Demolition Derby in Chevron Arena at the 2015 Fayette County Fair. The 2018 fair is set for July 26-Aug. 4.
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
A number of cars fight for ground in the Demolition Derby at the 2015 Fayette County Fair. The 2018 fair is set for July 26-Aug. 4.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|Herald-Standard
Racers of quads and motorcycles practice before the Motocross show in the Chevron Arena at the 2017 Fayette County Fair. The arena is the site of many popular shows, held daily during the fair at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. The 2018 fair is set for July 26-Aug. 4.
Frances Borsodi Zajac|Herald-Standard
Racers of quads and motorcycles practice before the Motocross show in the Chevron Arena at the 2017 Fayette County Fair. The arena is the site of many popular shows, held daily during the fair at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. The 2018 fair is set for July 26-Aug. 4.
Monster Trucks, Mud Mania and three demolition derbies — who could resist?
These are among 14 shows that visitors can see at the 64th annual Fayette County Fair, set for July 26-Aug. 4 at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
“It’s smashes. It’s noise. It’s motor stuff,” said John Blaney, of Franklin Township, fair board treasurer, who’s in charge of acts at the Chevron Outdoor Arena. “It’s something I think people like to do but they can’t. So they come and watch it.”
The Outdoor Arena shows are fun and feature a variety of acts with Blaney noting, “We try to cater to different people.”
In fact, the Outdoor Arena schedule is so jam-packed that it begins the day before the fair starts with the WTPA Stock Tractor Pull on July 25.
Opening night of the fair, July 26, sees the first of three Croushore’s Demolition Derbies. The other two nights are July 31 and Aug. 3 — the derby’s final night was changed to the last Friday in 2017.
Other shows include Quad Mania & Side by Sides, July 27; Garden Tractor Pull & Dead Weight Tractor Pull at 9 a.m. with FCF Stock Semi Pull, FCF Stock Heavy Hauler Semi Pull, East Coast-Modified 4×4 Pickup Pull and USA East Run What You Brung at 6:30 p.m., July 28; Motocross, July 29; USA East-Limited PS/SF Tractor Pull. USA East-Modified Semi Trucks and USA East 3.6 Diesel 4×4 Truck Pull, July 30; Monster Truck Races, featuring Freestyle Motocross, Aug. 1; Boys and Bulls” Rodeo & FCF Team Penning Competition with Steve Smith Band, Aug. 2; and Mud Mania 4×4 Trucks & Open Vehicles & 4×4 Quads, Aug. 4.
The only show that Blaney isn’t involved with is the horse pulling contest at 11 a.m. Aug. 4.
Blaney told the audience at the fair’s preview luncheon: “If it doesn’t make noise or throw mud, we don’t do it in the Outdoor Arena.”
During an interview, Blaney commented the most popular shows include Monster Trucks, the demolition derbies, mud show and the quads. He observed that many shows have different followings.
Monster Trucks are tough, tall and loud vehicles that often have themes. Demolition derbies call for drivers to compete by ramming their vehicles each other until only one is able to move. Mud shows feature vehicles that like to get dirty. Quads are all-terrain vehicles that race against each other.
Each show carries its own brand of excitement: there’s racing, smashing and noise.
The shows are family friendly, and there’s never a bad seat in the arena.
Plus, you don’t need to know a lot about each sport to appreciate the drivers, the vehicles and the work behind the scenes.
The shows in the Outdoor Arena also serve another purpose.
“It’s one of the things we use to get people onto the fairgrounds,” said Blaney. “A lot of people come to the fair because of that and we hope that while they’re here, they’ll get a taste of agriculture and find out that’s where food comes from.”
He noted the fair board members are tied to agriculture and said, “That’s what we’re trying to do — promote agriculture.”