WASHINGTONVILLE — The Montour-DeLong Community Fair will feature a unique centerpiece this year as a historic 1780s log cabin — uncovered in Washingtonville two years ago — is reassembled piece by piece on the fairgrounds over the course of the week-long festivities.
Ruth Marr, secretary for the fair’s board of directors, said the reconstruction of the log cabin will serve as one of the main attractions at this year’s fair, alongside staples like tractor pulls, mini-horse pulls, exhibits, livestock shows, vendors old and new, music and entertainment, homemade food and rides.
“Each day we are building a different section of the cabin, I believe this is going to draw a big part of our attendance this year,” said Marr, who noted that Dolittle Construction will be handling the project.
“They’ll start on that Monday and work on it all through the week, so that people can actually watch them and ask any questions they might have,” she added.
The cabin was uncovered two years ago during the demolition of a former bar and hotel along Route 54. Marr said the fair board was contacted by Washingtonville Mayor Tyler Dombroski to have the dissembled cabin’s logs stored at the fairgrounds, before deciding to purchase the cabin from the borough for $1, with plans to reconstruct it on-site at the fair.
The project — made possible through a $70,000 state grant, $25,000 from the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and $10,000 raised locally — will see the cabin’s original two-story design compressed into a single story once completed.
“The reconstruction, that will turn into — in a about a year — a museum, and our original goal is and always will be education,” said Marr.
The museum will house exhibits appropriate to the region and the late-1700s time period, including photographs, antiques and other historical items.
A celebration of the cabin’s completion will take place on the final evening of the fair, Saturday, Aug. 13, with local and state officials invited to attend for the dedication of the historic monument.
The fair, originally started in 1935 and named for local inventor Frank Emerson DeLong, highlights local agriculture to educate and entertain visitors from across Montour County and the surrounding area.
“Besides the log cabin, the most exciting part is just putting on an event like this. It’s really our community coming together,” Marr said. “It’s not just something you do overnight, it’s all year long and it’s non-profit, so whatever money we do make gets rolled back into the fair.”
She said each year more than 200 volunteers and local organizations help with the planning, set up and running of the fair. Even after nearly a year of preparation, board members will still be hard at work throughout the week, with Marr herself holding down the french fry station.
“All of our aides are volunteers, mostly from non-profits in the area,” she said.
As part of tradition started with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, one volunteer group will be recognized at the fair with a certificate for their contributions.
With attendance numbers at the fair ranging from 300 to 500 cars daily last year, Marr hopes there will be even more this year, with all of the new attractions.
The Montour-DeLong Community Fair will take place Monday, Aug. 8 through Saturday, Aug. 13, at the fairgrounds located at 5848 Broadway Road, near Washingtonville.
• Monday, Aug. 8: 10 a.m., dairy goat judging; noon, entering of exhibits; 5 p.m., livestock fitting competition; 6 p.m., entertainment by Echo Valley; 6:30 p.m., 4x4 vehicle pull; 7 p.m., youth contests; 8 p.m., judging of baked goods; 8:30 p.m., old fashioned contests.
• Tuesday, Aug. 9: 9 a.m., exhibit judging; noon, dairy fitting contest; 6 p.m., entertainment by Wayne Evan’s Band; 6:30 p.m., tractor pulls; 7 p.m., youth rabbit show; 7 p.m., cake and pie auction.
• Wednesday, Aug. 10: livestock judging; 6 p.m., horse fitting demonstration; 6:30 p.m., lawn stock garden tractor pulls; 7 p.m., entertainment by Deuce.
• Thursday, Aug. 11: 10 a.m., dairy cattle judging; 6 p.m., VIP showmanship contest; 6 p.m., entertainment by DRIVE; 6:30 p.m., tractor pulls; 7 p.m., kiddie pedal pull.
• Friday, Aug. 12: 10 a.m., 4-H and FFA presentations and speaking contest; 1 p.m., supreme showmanship contest; 6 p.m., entertainment; 6:30 p.m., tractor pull; 7 p.m., Old Timers Show; 8 p.m., entertainment by Tommy Guns Band.
• Saturday, Aug. 13: 10 a.m., FFA tractor driving; 3 p.m., tractor pull, 6 p.m., mini horse pull; 6 p.m., entertainment by Sapphire.
Madeline Lanning contributed to this story.
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