St. Lawrence County Fair goes with green theme

GOUVERNEUR — This year's Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair, which runs Monday through Aug. 8, will focus on recycling.

"We're going to be going green at the Gouverneur Fair," President Donald A. Peck said. "We were picked to do an ag awareness demonstration."

Fair officials are working with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the county's Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, Soil & Water Conservation District and Planning Office on plastic and newspaper recycling.

The fair has purchased a building for demonstrations, including how newspapers can be recycled for bedding. The county also has ordered an agricultural plastics baler that can package silage bags, bale wrappers and mulch films for resale.

FFA members at Gouverneur Central School have made a picnic table of recycled plastic lumber that will be raffled.

Containers will be placed around the fairgrounds for recyclable bottles that the FFA will pick up.

A children's comedy act will devote one of its three daily shows to recycling.

The fair also will be chock-full of food vendors and commercial exhibits, including four local wineries and a farmers market. There will be a petting zoo. Adults and children may catch a New York state fish from a large tank and learn about hook-and-release fishing.

Again this year the midway will be provided by Coleman Brothers, which is expected to bring 23 rides.

"This should be a long-term relationship," Mr. Peck said. "Our ride gross last year was the most since the early 1970s."

Although the fair opens Monday, the rides won't be set up until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

As in years past, admission to the grounds will be free. Parking is $3 per day or $12 for a week's pass.

Featured events include a talent show and harness racing on Tuesday, high school band day and the firemen's parade Wednesday, the Smudge Fundaes — a children's group — Thursday, a monster truck show next Friday, local rock bands and all-terrain-vehicle races Aug. 7 and a demolition derby Aug. 8.

For updates and ticket prices, visit www.gouverneurfair.net.

There also will be a milking contest rematch between St. Lawrence County Legislators Frederick S. Morrill, D-DeKalb Junction, who was last year's victor, and Alex A. MacKinnon, R-Fowler. They will be joined by state Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, the winner of last year's milking competition at the New York State Fair.

A date for the contest at the Gouverneur fair will depend on Mr. Aubertine's schedule.