POCOMOKE–

The Great Pocomoke Fair
kicks off today, Thursday, and will continue Friday and Saturday with
activities and exhibits in the southern end of Worcester County.

Gloria Smith, treasurer
of the fair committee, said approximately 2,500-3,000 people attend the fair
and some specific activities attract visitors every year.

“The harness racing,
antique tractor pull and greased pig contest are local attractions,” she said.
“Regarding the harness racing, we are the only fair with a single day of
harness racing for entertainment.”

Other activities include
indoor exhibits, such as crafts, home furnishings, canned and baked good and
vegetables, livestock exhibits and hog, dairy cow and beef cattle judging.

Fair gates will open at 5
p.m. today, Thursday. Admission costs $2. Visitors have the option to bring
four non-perishable food items to receive half-off the price of admission all
three days of the fair. Smith said the proceeds will benefit the Good Samaritan
Shelter and the partnership is an initiative by the International Association
of Fairs and Expositions, of which the fair is a member.

The Good Samaritan
Shelter provides transitional housing and supportive services to men, women and
women with children in local communities.

The Little Miss Great Pocomoke
Fair Pageant is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. today on the grandstand stage. The
Jr. Miss Pageant will follow at 8 p.m. A gospel concert will begin at the
conclusion of the fair at 8:30 p.m. on the grandstand stage.

Activities are scheduled
from 5-8:30 p.m. on Friday and the cost of admission is $2. There will be
indoor and livestock exhibits and hog, dairy cow and beef cattle judging. A
gospel concert is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the grandstand stage on Friday.
The Valdez family is scheduled to present a singing performance at the
conclusion of the fair at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s activities
will take place from 8 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Admission cost is $2 and children 6
and younger will be admitted free.

An equine show will be
the first of Saturday’s events. Judging for exhibits and livestock will take
place throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.

Live harness racing will
take place from 12:30-4 p.m. in the grandstand area Saturday. Both exhibition
and sanctioned races will be carded.

Children’s activities are
also scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, and include games and crafts. Smith said
the activities change each year but one game remains the same: “Chick Scratch.”
Trays are filled with chicken coup shavings with coins buried inside. Children
are divided in age groups and each child sifts through the shavings to find and
keep the hidden coins.

Registration for the
antique/classic tractor pull will begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with races
starting at 5 p.m.

Fireworks, by Fireworks
Extravaganza, will be set off at the conclusion of the fair at 10:15 p.m.

For more information,
call the fairgrounds at 410-957-4486 or visit www.thegreatpocomokefair.org.