CENTRE HALL — Most people in the county know someone who owns a tent at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall and enjoys a week full of family, friends and food that only the Centre County Grange Fair and Encampment can provide.
For those of us who aren’t fairgoers, the idea of staying in a large encampment with 1,000 tents, some sleeping whole families, may seem a little off putting, but to the many who call the Grange Fair Encampment a home away from home, we are really missing out.
“Oh, just so many memories at the fair,” said Mary Biddle, of Spring Mills, who has been a tenter since she was a kid, and now brings her own two children to the same place that was special to her as child. “Just getting a chance to be with family for the week is what it’s about, and let the kids have fun, and be kids. They put away the electronics and get a chance to run around and have fun.”
The tents are 14 feet by 14 feet, and are passed down from generation to generation, said Darlene Confer, tent camp secretary. The tradition of the tents dates back 137 years, said Confer, as the first fair started off as picnics. After a few years people realized that they didn’t want to have to make the long trip back home right away after the picnic, so they set up tents for the night, and a tradition was born. Now, the Centre County Grange is the only fair in the country to have an encampment and it is tradition that is alive and well. There is a waiting list for people wishing to become new tenters, but there is very little turnover, so the list does not move much.
The fair officially starts Friday, Aug. 19, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 27, but on Aug. 14 tenters started getting their tents ready to go.
Per fair rules, they were allowed to add a 4-foot porch on the front of their tent and 6-foot kitchen to the back. Confer said that all the creature comforts of home come in the tents. Beds, refrigerators, TVs, video games, sofas and more all get brought from home and make their way into the small area. But even with all that, Confer said the biggest draw is for people to spend the week with their families.
“It becomes a sort of family reunion for most people. This is the time of year when they see everyone and get together with their extended ‘tent family,’” said Confer.
Staying in “tent city” is a lot of fun, but it does offer some challenges. Biddle offers these these words of advice for anyone new to the tenting experience:
■ Number one is that you will get dirty, especially the kids.
■ Number two, if you like your sleep, bring ear plugs. With so many people sleeping close by, there is bound to be a snorer.
■ Number three, of you see a dollar laying on the ground and a large group of people watching, don’t try to pick it up. Biddle says an old trick for fair jokesters is attach a dollar to a fishing line and dupe passersby by lifting it out of reach right as they go to pick it up. It’s all part of the fun, said Biddle, but be forewarned.
Even if you don’t know anyone who stays in a tent, it is certainly worth the trip to check out tent city and all the rest of the fair has to offer, including the farm animals, rides, games and, most importantly, the food. Just be mindful if you see a dollar laying on the ground.
