Hazy skies, busy fair: Wildfire smoke doesn't keep crowds away from Ocean County Fair
Despite smoky skies from Canadian wildfires and periods of rain, thousands turned out for opening days of the Ocean County Fair, with organizers reporting one of the busiest opening nights in recent years.
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Canadian wildfire smoke and a little rain weren't enough to keep families away from one of Ocean County's biggest summer traditions.
The Ocean County Fair opened this week at Robert J. Miller Air Park in Berkeley Township under hazy skies caused by smoke drifting south from wildfires in Canada. While some residents questioned whether the fair would open, organizers say it was business as usual.
"We were getting a few phone calls asking if we were open," said Ocean County Fair coordinator Zach Kolas. "If we're on schedule, we're still on schedule. We're ready to go."
The five-day fair features carnival rides, live entertainment, food vendors and 4-H exhibits, drawing thousands of visitors each July. Despite the smoky conditions, Kolas says attendance on opening night actually exceeded expectations.
"We are almost up 500 to 600 people for opening night," Kolas said. "It was a little warm, but once the sun went down, it was a beautiful evening out here."
Longtime fairgoer Maria Lauria says the event has become a family tradition.
"I've been coming for 39 years," Lauria said. "This is a huge family-friendly event in the county. It's all local people and also brings people from all over the state, which I love."
For food vendors, steady attendance was welcome news after concerns that the smoke or weather could impact business.
"You can't control the weather—that's just the way it goes," said vendor Gytano Passarelli. "The smoke isn't really hurting us. Weather's weather. What are you gonna do?"
Kolas says the smoky conditions improved as the evening went on, with winds helping clear the haze within a few hours.
Fairgoers said they were keeping an eye on the air quality but weren't about to miss one of the county's biggest summer events.
"The weather never turns us away from anything going on here," Lauria said. "They work really hard to put this on every single year. It'll stop raining, and it'll be fine."
The Ocean County Fair continues through the weekend with rides, agricultural exhibits, entertainment and family activities.
