For more than a century, the Monmouth County Fair has been held showcasing local agricultural history.
And the fair is still going strong.
For the 48th consecutive year, the Monmouth County Park System worked with its vendors to hold the fair at East Freehold Showgrounds from July 26-30.
The fair has consistently gathered local community members to show off Jersey agriculture, stimulate appreciation for the local environment, enjoy good food and cold drinks, play games, ride rides, and appreciate talented artists’ live acts.
“The history of this fair in Monmouth County goes back 150 years,” explained Erika Bozza, chairperson for this year’s Monmouth County Fair. “There have been fairs here for a long time showing off the local agricultural history.
“It’s held in cooperation with the Monmouth County Park System and Monmouth County 4-H, under the Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s youth development program with clubs and volunteers for projects they’ve worked on throughout the year—everything from horse exhibits, animal tents, agriculture shows…”
Ahead of the fair, Bozza explained the intricacies of the event this year, and also went into a bit about the history of this specific, well-known Monmouth County community get-together.
She is this year’s chairperson for the Monmouth County fair, but that’s not her main gig. She’s spent 25 years working for the Monmouth County Park System, mostly running other county-sponsored camps and environmental programs. Each year, the park system chooses a “fair chair” or a person to spearhead and customize the event.
Along with the park system’s executive committee, Bozza was the person selected this year to customize the event to differentiate this fair from years’ passed, but still maintain the fair’s well-known tradition.
“This is my job one week per year,” she explained (not counting the pre-planning work that goes on months prior). “And then the rest of the year I work with naturalists and visitor services. I work with different divisions like nature interpretations, community, and environment centers in the Manasquan Reservoir. I work on running camps and programs, and outdoor adventure camps, hiking trips, archery classes, climbing missions, and I manage the ski hut in the winter.”
Bozza keeps quite busy. Despite a range of yearlong responsibilities, this event will be a special one for her, she admits.
A Happening Event
Looking at the fair’s daily itinerary was almost overwhelming. Certain days highlighted events like The Nerds band that played on July 27, or the Sunsational Soul Cruisers on July 30.
The fair is “always a great value” with free parking and multiple days of free entertainment. There was free admission for children under 12 as well as for veterans and military members. Seniors and students were free on Sundays.
Every year, the fair features rides, games, vendors, exhibits, and entertainment that are on offer for each of the five event days. The Monmouth County Parks System event board committee went through great lengths to make the fair interesting for those who could only show up on one day, and for those who wanted to enjoy the fair for multiple days.
“This is the largest multi-day event in Monmouth County and Jersey Shore area,” asserted Bozza noting they were expecting 95,000 people to come through the Showgrounds at 1500 Kozloski Road. “We have the biggest rides, the most rides, food trucks, food vendors, snack vendors, live animals, portable climbing wall, multiple shows… You can spend an entire day just going show to show to show.”
Over the course of the five days, there was a ton on offer, and some of the highlights were as follows:
- Amish Outlaws.
- Back to the 80s Show with Jessie’s Girl.
- Coast 2 Coast Philly.
- Robinson’s Racing Pigs.
- Aaron Bonk’s Fire, Whips, and Danger Tricks.
- Flying Fools High Diving Show.
- Home & Garden Demonstrations from Central Jersey Beekeepers Association.
- Grown in Monmouth.
- Mutts Gone Nuts (comedic dog trick show).
Guests were able to access the days’ itinerary on the Monmouth County Park System website.
At the Team Ranch Association buckle matches, participants were able to win a big buckle and compete herding cattle. People were also able to see Aaron Bonk’s Fire Whips and Danger Tricks.
Bozza noted Bonk is a Guinness Book world record holder, which her family saw at the New York Renaissance Fair.
The fair also saw a high diving act – High Flying Fools – from Canada.
“Some people might recall the high diving show that used to be at Six Flags,” Bozza said.
When at a fair, there’s never any shortage of food. This was especially true at the Monmouth County Fair. In addition to the beautiful Garden-State-grown fruit and veggies on offer, there were numerous food and snack trucks like Empanada Guy, Tony’s Italian Sausage, Freehold Jersey Freeze, and many more every day of the fair.
History of the Fair in Monmouth County
Over a long winter, it’s sometimes easy to forget that this is the Garden State. For 150 years, there have been events like the Monmouth County Fair in Freehold that show off local farmers’ hard work.
“We have a wonderful home and garden tent. It’s a competition so people put their flowers and vegetables, artwork and pies, and cookies to be judged there,” shared Bozza. “To showcase the things people are doing here in the Garden State.”
This event pays homage to those individuals as well as the natural beauty and environment in New Jersey.
Every year the fair features a “living history tent showcasing life on Historic Longstreet Farm with displays and demonstrations,” said Bozza. “It’s set in the 1890s and has different demonstrators doing stitch work, and many different things from the 1890s.”
The fair gives the Monmouth County Park system the chance to show off the expansive park and county land that’s available for New Jersey residents and visitors to enjoy year round. Currently the park system owns and operates over 18,000 acres of land in Monmouth County.
“Huber Woods Park, Dawn to Dusk highlights themes from our forested areas, the ponds, the wildlife, the things to see there,” explained Bozza. “Guests might follow the Nature on the Move van which is our travel and environmental center.”
The Park System in Monmouth County
With more than a century and half down, and hopefully many more to go, the Monmouth County Fair is a yearly event that draws big crowds from all over the state.
Jersey gets much of its reputation for the shore points in the summertime. However, the Monmouth County Fair is an annual event that shows off more than just New Jersey’s beaches – notably Seven Presidents beach, another Monmouth County park.
Bozza said the fair is a chance to facetime with community members that the park system’s employees don’t always see throughout the year.
“We get to highlight county services like the highway division, the sheriff’s department, and county services like tourism, the clerk, and Brookdale College so people can come and discover what’s here for them.”
For more information about the Monmouth County Park System visit https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/
