Great Allentown Fair back for 2021

The Great Allentown Fair will be back for 2021. After being canceled for 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Lehigh County Agricultural Society decided unanimously to have this year’s event starting Wednesday, Sept. 1 and running through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6.

The Great Allentown Fair is one of the state’s oldest and largest events.

Last year’s cancellation was only the third time since the fair started in 1852 that the fair wasn’t held

The fair wasn’t held in 1917 and 1918 during World War I because the fairgrounds were used for military training.

Then in 1941, the Allentown Fair did not allow children under the ages of 16 to enter the grounds during the fair to protect them from the polio epidemic.

“The announcement of the easement of COVID-19 restrictions from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and updated health and safety guidelines, along with our continued conversations with the Allentown’s Department of Health, led to the decision to go ahead with the 2021 Allentown Fair,”  said Beverly Gruber, president of the Ag Society.

“The health and safety of our local and out-of-town fairgoers, exhibitors, vendors and entertainers has and will always be our number one priority.”

Not only is the fair returning after a year’s absence, some of the shows that were canceled for last year have been rescheduled for 2021.

The Toby Keith concert is Sept. 2 and the Carrie Underwood concert is Sept. 3.