Going to the Bloomsburg Fair has been a lifelong tradition for me. I grew up waiting patiently for the summer months to pass so we could be folded into the first breath of fall.
When I first started going to the fair, September was a chilly month. Fair week undoubtedly meant rain. We’d have warm days perfect for tees and pants, and then the next five days, we’d all be freezing and huddling in the education building to protect ourselves from a downpour.
But these days, it’s generally a little sunnier and around eighty degrees instead. I have to say, it’s quite nice. Except for the fact that in a weird sort of way, I miss the cold rainy days of the past fairs.
Through the years, locals like me have found the best of the best stands to grab a bite to eat. My cousin demanded we go get Penn State Creamery ice cream every time we went. Mr. Sticky’s is a must—if you haven’t had one, you haven’t yet lived a full life.
Those of us who grew up around here know that fair-week is like a whole holiday at school. Bloomsburg, Central, Berwick—all of those students got to experience an entire week off of school.

I went to Millville, so I only got half a week off. But I still knew kids who skipped all five days of school to go show animals or work at a stand. Those two and a half days of school were some of the best because you just knew that after they finally ended, you could book it down to the fair and eat crazy amounts of food or waste your money on games.
And even now, at twenty-one, I keep finding something new every time I stop by. I’m always pleasantly surprised by new foods, different ice cream, or finding a new shop to drop by.
Not to mention, you’re always bound to run into someone you haven’t seen in awhile, or people you know from school or work. It’s a great place to catch up.
Perhaps the biggest downfall of the fair, aside from the sky-high ticket prices (that we all know a way of getting around these days) is the influx of traffic and pedestrians.
I’m always infuriated by the hoards of people who clog the streets. Or the people who drive very slowly through the side streets as they try to figure out where the best parking is.
But I guess that’s the price you pay for the Bloomsburg Fair.
Another thing I really don’t appreciate yet always am subjected to is the excessive amount of pro-gun, pro-knife, pro-weapon, pro-Trump, pro-Confederate Flag paraphernalia.
I mean, come on. The fair has to be a political place too?
You can also get in a lot of exercise. By the time the night is over, my feet always hurt! I’ve never understood the people who wear flip-flops to the fair. To each their own, I guess.
But overall, I would say that I’d be upset to miss the fair. I’m not looking forward to how, in a couple of years, I’ll be graduating and probably moving too far away from Bloomsburg to make the trek here during September.
For now, I’d say there’s a lot of good food, tasty snacks, and fun to be had. Whether you’re coming with friends or family, you’re sure to find something to enjoy.

Kristin is a junior English major and is the Assistant Opinions editor for The Voice.