COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County 4-H Fair, coming up Thursday through Saturday, July 21-23, offers three full days of great free family entertainment.
The official kick off is the Grand Opening Parade at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. We are pleased to welcome back as our Parade Grand Marshalls a very special group of kids…the children of our U.S. Coast Guard Base in Cape May. All dependents of U.S. Coast Guard families have been invited to lead the parade. The children will march with pride representing their parents; the brave men and women of the U. S. Coast Guard who serve our nation every day of the year.
Our Grand Marshalls will be followed by marching 4-H clubs, the Cape May County String Band, colorful mascots and 4-H riders on horseback led by the Moonlight Riders Mounted 4-H Drill Team.
The parade will wind around the fairgrounds, beginning at the horse show arena and ending at the main stage just in time for the fair’s Opening Ceremonies. Cat Country Radio’s 107 Days of Summer Tour will also be on hand that afternoon to cheer along the parade and entertain fair visitors.
Immediately after the parade and opening ceremonies, the string band will take the stage, followed by the John Walter Cape Community Band at 6:00 p.m. One of Cape May County’s brand new clubs, the Shore Foot Jumpers Double Dutch Club will wow the crowd at 7:00 p.m. with their demonstration of double dutch rope jumping. Thursday’s stage entertainment will conclude with the Atlantic County 4-H Cloggers, beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Broadway Rhythms kicks off Friday’s live entertainment at 4:30 p.m., followed by A Touch of Class at 6:00. The PPAWS Seeing Eye Dog Club will round out Friday’s stage entertainment with a demonstration at 7:00 p.m.
The fair’s annual Children’s Pet Show is always a crowd favorite, with categories for all kinds of cute pets and even cuter kids. Registration for the event begins at 9:00 a.m. and is open to all. Another new group, the Laws for the Paws Dog Obedience 4-H Club, will take the stage Saturday at 5:00 p.m. with a demonstration of what they and their pooches have learned this year. Butch Hamer’s Karate Studio students will perform at 6:00 p.m., and at 7:00, help us welcome to the 4-H fair stage for the very first time the Gibson School of Irish Dance! These Irish lasses will delight the crowd with their beautiful costumes and lofty Irish dance steps.
The entertainment onstage is the perfect backdrop to the Cape May County Board of Agriculture’s Chicken Bar-B-Que, served all three evenings of the fair from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday’s menu adds a choice of delicious filet of fish. The cost of the dinner is $11.00 for adults and $7.00 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available prior to the fair at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension office, at 355 Court House – South Dennis Rd. in Cape May Court House, and during the event on the 4-H Fairgrounds at the Bar-B-Que Ticket Booth, beginning at 4:00 p.m. each evening.
In addition to live stage entertainment, strolling musicians the “Firehouse 3” will delight fair midway visitors with patriotic and Americana tunes. The Lockwood 4-H Youth Center will feature our county youth’s winning 4-H project displays and educational exhibits. Small animal, horse and livestock shows and exhibits will be ongoing at the rear of the fairgrounds.
Wizards Festival of Fun amusement rides will open Thursday and Friday from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 1:00 to 10:00 p.m. The 4-H fair’s bustling midway of commercial vendors, food court, games and community organization booths will be open until 9:00 p.m. each night.
Public hours for the fair are noon to 9:00 p.m. each day and 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. General admission to the fair is FREE, as is public parking and shuttle service to the 4-H fairgrounds, provided by Cape May County Fare Free Transportation. Official fair parking is at the Cape May County Technical High School, located at exit 11 on the east side of the Garden State Parkway on Moore Road. Shuttle buses run approximately every 15 minutes from noon through closing to transport fair goers to and from the event. Buses are fully handicapped accessible and air-conditioned.
There is also limited, premium parking available next door to the 4-H fairgrounds at Atlantic Cape Community College, at 355 Court House-S. Dennis Rd., with a suggested $5.00 donation.
For a 2011 Cape May County 4-H Fair brochure and daily schedules of events, visit www.capemaycountygov.net, click on “Departments,” then “Rutgers Cooperative Extension.” For other questions, please call (609) 465-5115, ext. 605.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
