Cumberland Fair adds new tricks to tradition - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Cumberland County

Cumberland Fair adds new tricks to tradition - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Cumberland County.

MILLVILLE - As organizers worked busily Sunday to set up for this year's 63rd Annual Cumberland County Fair, one of the weeklong show's many supporting characters made a somewhat unscheduled appearance. Inside an incubator, amid dozens of poultry eggs, a newly hatched chick rested comfortably in the 100-degree heat. While its arrival Sunday morning came a little early, it went largely unnoticed by the other animals - horses, hogs, heifers and lambs - waiting for their big debut. Visitors to this year's fair can expect to see many of the longstanding agricultural traditions - such as hog auctions and equestrian shows - that have come to define the event, which for decades has served as the local farming community's annual showcase. There also will be a few new ones. On Friday, for example, the fair will host a series of events catering to the Mexican community, including a Mexican rodeo and performances by several Mexican musical acts. Robin Ricci, vice president of the Cumberland County Fair Association, said fair organizers wanted to build an event that catered to all county residents. "Our demographics for the Hispanic community, in each of the cities here, continues to grow," she said Sunday. "Because we are such a diversified community, this was a really good opportunity to appeal to all facets. There truly is something for everybody." In addition to old crowd-pleasers such as amusement rides and a demolition derby, the fair - billed as the state's oldest - also will host dog contests, pig races and free music entertainment from many local bands. The fair also will include many of the traditional 4-H events. Various animal demonstrations and barnyard beauty pageants will take place side-by-side with club exhibits, Double Dutch jumproping and science and engineering activities. In many respects, the 4-H fun and games remain faithful to the county's rich farming heritage. Both a milking challenge and a hog-and-sheep judging clinic are scheduled for Friday. Hopewell Township resident Kira Nardelli, 21, who leads a new 4-H livestock club with her husband, Chuck, said Sunday that farming is alive and well in the region. "We are still here," Nardelli said. "This is the Garden State, and we are still Cumberland County." Running a group such as a livestock club, however, is not without its challenges. As decades of development have turned farmland into housing communities, the number of children who live on farms in Cumberland County has dwindled. Interest in animal husbandry, however, has not disappeared completely. For the children in either of the county's two livestock clubs who do not live on farms, group leaders provide space for the animals they are tasked with raising. This year's fair also be will a first for the Nardellis, who both participated in 4-H as children. Last year, they formed their own livestock club, dubbed "Livestock Rocks" by its teenage members, and this week will be the first show for the seven children they mentor. "It's definitely changed," Chuck Nardelli said. "There's been less involvement. But we're doing the best we can." There are about 1,400 children in the county's 4-H programs, officials said. The club also reaches another 5,000 children through enrichment efforts in schools across the county. While some newer programs, such as robotics or engineering classes, do not have roots in agriculture, county 4-H agent Jeannette Rea-Keywood said they are all designed to engage children in the act of learning. "Kids look forward to the fair," Rea-Keywood said. "They really, really do." The fair opens today at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds, 3001 Carmel Road in Millville, and will last through the week, ending Saturday. For more information, visit: www.cumberlandcofair.com