Summer is full of fairs and festivals. If you live anywhere in Pennsylvania you’ve probably visited or at least heard about Grange Fair. We’ll be out and visiting that this week. But a lesser-known but also wonderful is Ag Progress Days. It’s the week before Grange Fair. We visited last week on Wednesday.
Ag Progress Days
Penn State University runs this fair three days every year in August. It’s all about the science behind farming. There’s tractors, seeding, animals and all things to do with farming. There are activities and demonstrations for kids to do. Gardening information and recipes to try out.
Even if you’re not a farmer there are tons to do and did I mention fair food?
You can see the schedule of events and what’s up for next year. Visit for a day or two. We were there for 4 hours and didn’t have enough time to visit everything.
Tractors
There are tons of tractors all over the fairgrounds. Some are being sold and others being offered for lease. The owners allow anyone to climb on or even possibly climb inside. Needless to say, kids love this.
Aiden climbed up and on a ton of tractors and construction equipment. It was a little boy’s heaven.
Crops
You’re definitely going to see corn. There’s always a corn maze. You can learn about different potatoes. And there’s always lots of vegetables.
The master gardeners from Penn State have a huge flower garden there too. You’ll see butterflies and bees if you visit the flower garden. You can get a ton of gardening tips from them.
Animals
Horses, sheep, cows, and chickens are always there. Wednesdays there are animals in the 4H club building including the bunnies. Which are there to be pet and gently played with.
There are a bunch of demonstrations with the horses. You can see the police who patrol on horseback. And miniature ponies to see.
Kids Activities
There are a few kid activities to check out. You should head over to a demonstration or too at the Shaver’s Creek tent. There’s always a few things to look at the 4H Club building. They have a passport that offers prizes for doing all of the activities in the building. Your child can climb a tree like a professional tree trimmers. (I didn’t do it with Aiden or get anywhere near it so he won’t try. Sorry my helicopter parenting got in the way.)
Enjoy the Fair
I skipped the fair food. It’s always so full of fat and sugar. We brought our own snacks and got some popcorn in one of the tents. If you stay all day look around there are healthy food options if you look or if you’re up for the more delicious options there are lots to choose from.
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the map and events which are available at the ends of the most rows.
There are port-a-potties throughout the fair. There a few larger ones for handicap folks. Although they should also have the symbol for moms with a herd of kids in tow. 😉
Don’t Forget
We are always prepared when we go out to a fair or a festival. Don’t forget your refillable water bottles, snacks, closed-toed shoes, first aid kit, and backpack.
You have lots of opportunities to pick up pens and pencils with business logos on them. It’s the perfect way to get them for back to school so you’ll need a little extra space in the backpack.
Related Post: Back to School: Homeschool Edition
Ag Progress Days
Have you ever visited Ag Progress Days? Do you visit fairs in your area? What’s your favorite? What’s your favorite fair food?
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