Welcome to the 83rd Annual Warren County Farmers’ Fair

This year the Warren County Farmers’ Fair, featuring the Hot Air Balloon Festival, is celebrating its 83rd year of providing family entertainment for the community. The Fair has always been a place where the agricultural community comes together to celebrate, and show off their hard work. Over the years, it’s been a place of family traditions where visitors would come with their grandparents and now bring their grandchildren.

New to the Warren County Farmers’ Fair? In addition to reasonable admission rates, free parking, a free children’s activity area and affordable food, the Fair also incorporates a Hot Air Balloon Festival with mass launches every evening at 6:30 pm (weather permitting). Hot air balloons have become an important part of the Fair. Over the years visitors from outside the boundaries of Warren County have been drawn to the event by the balloons. Many enjoy a look at a lifestyle of farming still present in Warren County, and explore other things to do on return visits to our local communities. This is done with the assistance of our local tourism arm and sponsor, the Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership. We hope you will visit their website, explorewarren.org and sign up for their e-news, Warren County Wanderings.

What better way to kick off the Fair on Saturday, July 31, than with a Fry Pan Throwing Contest for women, at 12 noon, in the Horse Ring. It’s time to release some pent up energy! We did not forget about the men. Both men and women can build their Ag Olympic Team and compete in the new Ag Olympics Obstacle Course, at 3:30 pm, following the Fry Pan Throwing. Farm chores include the Water Bucket Carry, Wheelbarrow Driving, Horse Jump and the Hay Bale Roll!

New to the Fair is the Warren County Jackpot Show – an open Breeding Sheep Show with commercial and junior divisions, beginning at 12 noon. In the Main Arena, the Fair welcomes back Rafter Z Rodeo, with bull riding, barrel racing and horse racing. The main event kicks off at 7 pm, after the Lil Buckaroos show. Lil Buckaroos are selected from ticketholders, for some mutton busting and other activities. Other events on opening day Saturday include a truck show, performance by Circle Round the Sun, beer garden by Czig Meister Brewery and hot air balloons.

The Hot Air Balloon Festival returns to the Fair! In 2020, the Fair, along with most local events, were forced to cancel. One element of the Fair—the hot air balloons—organized a smaller event, in conjunction with long time sponsor, Warren County Community College. Now the Balloon Festival is back and Fairgoers can enjoy mass hot air balloon launches and tethered rides each evening, as weather permits. Watch up to 35 hot air balloons go from green pasture to blue sky. Be on the lookout for special appearances by Fred G. Monster on both Saturdays, Sunday and Wednesday, weather permitting.

Looking for more flying fun? How about Drone Demonstrations? Three years ago Warren Community College began sharing progress on their Unmanned Systems (Drone) program. At the Fair they will share plans for the implementation of a recently awarded $2-million grant from the State of New Jersey's Securing Our Children's Future bond. Autonomous aircraft will be flown to conduct crop analyses, industrial drones will be demonstrated, Transportation as a Service will be reviewed, and attendees will be invited to try their flight skills on an entry level unmanned aircraft.

On Sunday the traditional Open English & Western Pleasure Horse Show kicks off, rain or shine, at 8 am in the Horse Ring. This show is one of the longest running Fair traditions.

Sunday is Veterans Day at the Fair. Admission is free for Veterans with proper ID. Monday is Senior Citizens & Disability Awareness Day, and seniors will be admitted for free when showing their Medicare card. Warren County Division of Aging and Disability Services will be hosting the Senior Citizen & Disability Awareness Show, from 1:30-3:30. Activities include Tai Chi , Senior Weight Management/In-home Physical Exercise with Gibson’s Gym, ad presentation by Postal Inspector, G.Botti, on Fraud & Scams in the Aged and Disabled Population.

This will be followed by some Senior Square Dancing, provided by the Cultural and Heritage Division of the Department of Land Preservation. Move to gentle rhythm of fun vintage music while caller, Mary Moody, shows you how to have fun with some easy basic steps on the dance floor.

Enjoy a series of free concerts and entertainment at the Fair. On opening day Saturday, on stage at 5 pm, enjoy the music of Circle Round the Sun. On Sunday Green Planet Band will be on stage at 6 pm. The week ends with Bobby Clark Band on Friday night, on stage, from 7-10 pm and Leah Marie Fuls, on closing day Saturday, on stage from 6-8:30 pm. Other entertainment includes the traditional Talent Show on Tuesday night. Be a spectator, or download the application to be a contestant, from the Contest Rules and Regs page on the Fair’s website. On Friday evening, enjoy America’s Dance Square Dancing show on the dance floor, from 7-9 pm, provided by the Cultural and Heritage Division of the Department of Land Preservation..

Find tractors of all shapes, sizes and ages on the Fairgrounds. Visit the Antique Tractor Barn on the south end of the Fairgrounds, or catch one of the various Tractor Pulls. (Note, the Antique Tractor Pull is now on Monday, at 3:00 pm.)

Own a set of wheels? Enter one of the car shows, sponsored by various non-profit organizations. Come out and support their efforts if you own an antique, a classic or a custom car. Or maybe your wheels are a truck, motorcycle or an antique John Deere or International. We have a show for that too!

Thrill-seekers can head to the Main Arena for events including truck pulls, tractor pulls, demolition derbies and rodeos. Tickets for the Rafter Z Rodeo and demolition derbies are available by mail order until July 15. Tickets for all other Main Arena events will be on sale on opening day of the Fair and throughout the week, at the Main Office on the Fairgrounds.

Need more thrills? The Fair is happy to welcome an all new ride company, McDaniel Brothers Shows, and their kiddie rides, thrill rides, carnival food and games!

The south end of the fairgrounds is dedicated to young children and tweens. The popular Kids’ Corral offers shows, interactive activities and contests. All activities at the Kids’ Corral are free of charge to Fairgoers. Contests and activities this year will be tailored for Covid-safe events. This year the Traditional Arts Expo is taking a year off and the Kids’ Corral will utilize their building. For those that love the Expo, they will be back in 2022, in their regular spot. The Kids’ Corral will be just a short walk from where the tent normally is, for 2021!

The Home & Garden Building exhibits entries of the gardeners’ vegetables, herbs, fruits and sunflowers. Both youth and adult entries are on display, of handwork, arts & crafts, and photography. The Baking contest will be held on Saturday, July 31 at 10 am. Youth, tweens and adults across Warren County are all invited to get creative and compete.

Take a seat, relax, and enjoy the landscape features from Warren County FFA in the FFA Exhibit Building. The 4-H will be participating in this year’s Fair as well with some new exhibits and traditional animal and horse shows.

Check out what’s growing at the Fair. This year the programming is expanding – or should we say growing – in several directions. The Fair is pleased to welcome the Warren Garden Club to the Fair. Enjoy and explore the Garden Path, and the display gardens the club is working so diligently to present. In addition, one can learn from a number of speakers that will be presenting on a variety of topics, or stop by with your little ones for a children’s gardening experience.

New at this year's Fair, is another garden experience – the beer garden. Local brewer, Czig Meister Brewing Co., will be pouring on opening and closing day Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm, and Friday from 3 to 10 pm. The beer garden is cash only, but ATM's are available on-site. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a variety of hand crafted beers and hard seltzer, locally crafted in Hackettstown NJ.

There are new hours for the event this year. Weekdays the Fair will be open from 12 noon to 10 pm. On weekdays the Fair will be open from 3 – 10 pm. Admission is $9 per adult and $5 children ages 6-12. Ages 5 and under are free as well as free parking.

Check out the schedule of events at www.warrencountyfarmersfair.org and plan some great, affordable entertainment for your family at the 2021 Warren County Farmers’ Fair, featuring the Hot Air Balloon Festival!