Pennsylvania's Historic County Fairs

The York State Fair is one of Pennsylvania's premier county fairs, a ten-day late-July through August celebration drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the York Fairgrounds — one of the oldest and grandest fair venues in the commonwealth. With roots going back to 1765, it's among Pennsylvania's oldest continuously held fairs.

The Allegheny County Fair has a history dating to 1849, but the fair ceased operations around 2000 and is no longer held. Allegheny County is now served by the Pittsburgh County Fair, an urban agricultural celebration held annually in the city.

The Allentown Fair is one of Pennsylvania's largest and most attended county fairs, a six-day early-September celebration in the heart of the Lehigh Valley drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to its grandstand concerts and sprawling midway. With roots going back to 1852, it's among Pennsylvania's oldest continuously held fairs.

The Bloomsburg Fair is the largest fair in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the United States, an eight-day late-September celebration in the North Branch Susquehanna Valley drawing over 400,000 visitors to one of America's most beloved county fairs since 1855. Founded in 1855, it stands as one of Pennsylvania's most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Centre County Grange Encampment & Fair in Centre Hall is one of Pennsylvania's oldest and most beloved fairs, a nine-day August tradition where families have camped on the grounds for generations in a uniquely American fair experience dating to 1874. The fair traces back to 1874, making it one of Pennsylvania's longest-running agricultural traditions.

The McClure Bean Soup Fair is a beloved September tradition in the Kishacoquillas Valley country of Snyder County, famous for its enormous bean soup kettles that have been cooking for veterans and visitors since 1883 — one of Pennsylvania's most distinctive fair traditions. Since its 1883 founding, it's endured as a century-plus Pennsylvania agricultural tradition.

The Westmoreland Fair in Greensburg is one of western Pennsylvania's largest county fairs, a nine-day August celebration drawing visitors from across the Pittsburgh metro area and the Laurel Highlands to celebrate the county's agricultural heritage. Founded in 1954, it has grown into a beloved annual event for the region.