Hartford Fair gets ATV race, new campgrounds and more

CROTON – Every year, the World's Biggest Little Fair gets just a little bit better.

Whether it's improvements to the grounds or the addition of a grandstand event, there is always something new to look forward to, Fair Secretary Larry Hughes said.

One of the first things guests will notice when walking into the 2015 Hartford Independent Fair is the new fence in front of the center field bleachers.

It was something the fair board had considered installing years ago, Hughes said, worried about people in the bleachers getting hurt from flying debris during events such as the Rough Truck competition.

Now those guests will have a little more protection. The fence is 12 feet tall and stretches 215 feet. Two rows of barricades also will be placed inside the fence to act as a first line of defense to keep trucks in the arena.

"It's not a NASCAR fence, but it's similar," Hughes said. "It will be a little bit different for people in the front rows who might not be able to see as well. But it should just be like looking through a chain link fence."

The fence will be up just in time for a new grandstand event, the Razor Races. Fair board members had heard about the event becoming popular during a convention and decided it was worth trying. Hughes described the event as similar to the Rough Truck competition but will instead take place on all-terrain vehicles.

Further investments on the fairgrounds include the addition of 125 new campgrounds, which are spread out over the former mud run area. Each lot will have access to electricity and water. A new well was dug near the new campgrounds to help with the additional toll on the fairgrounds' water supply.

Having more spaces for people to camp out could help families of children who are competing at the fair, Hughes said.

"There are some people who come and stay all week. They never leave," he said with a laugh. "It's great because a lot of the kids can stay back here to check in on their animals or save themselves a long drive every day."

To top it all off, guests will find that their cellphones are being a little kinder to them this year thanks to the addition of three Verizon Wireless cellphone towers on the grounds.

The phone company contacted the fair board after the 2014 Hartford Independent Fair, saying many of their customers had called to complain about poor service and their batteries draining at a rapid rate while attending the fair.

Verizon suggested placing two additional cell towers on the grounds, but the fair decided to go with three, just in case.

Staff working on the fairgrounds over the summer have already noticed a big difference. Hughes' phone had five bars compared to its usual three.

"We've got to keep making improvements and take care of the grounds so that we can make people want to come here," Hughes said. "If you come and see the same thing every year, you might not want to come. People like to see something different."

Now that the preparations are wrapping up, all that is left to do is pray for good weather.

"I think we're ready. I just hope we have good weather because if we have good weather we'll have a good fair," Hughes said.

emaddern@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8513

Twitter: @emmaddern

Get your Hartford Fair on

What: 2015 Hartford Independent Fair

When: Sunday through Aug. 15

Where: 14028 Fairgrounds Road, Croton

Cost: $7 general admission, children age 7 and younger admitted free

FYI: 740-893-4881 or www.hartfordfair.com