Like many events last year, the Northampton Community Days Fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s back with bells on this year, with many new events, awesome live entertainment, rides and more.

The fair, sponsored by Northampton Exchange Club for the benefit of Northampton Borough and surrounding areas, will be held July 7-10 at Municipal Park, Smith Lane and Laubach Avenue.

According to Marty Fella, treasurer of the Exchange Club, the fair used to run from Friday through Sunday and started as a food and music festival that hoped to keep people closer to home and local around the Fourth of July. Church groups provided most of the food, and service groups, such as the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club and Business Professional Women, were involved. Polka bands provided the music.

Then it started to grow, as organizers brought in rides and food vendors and even extended it to five days.

“Most of the church groups went to the wayside because they couldn’t get volunteers,” Fella said.

Most of the food is now provided by commercial vendors.

Spanning four days, this year’s festival will feature the usual attractions, such as the food tent, with about a dozen different vendors, the beer tent and bingo by the Exchange Club. There will also be rides and amusement games, provided by Goodtime Amusements, and plenty of live entertainment.

Each day of the festival has a different theme.

Opening night, which will begin 5:30 p.m., is all about the kids and will include some old favorites, like the magic of Tom Yurasits, Balloons by Cindy, Face Painting by Ladder Lady and a puppet show by Wagstaff and Company.

New this year, Northampton Area School District elementary students will entertain crowds with an orchestral performance, and there will be a chocolate cream pie-eating contest.

Thursday is veterans night with a program that recognizes special veterans. The Allentown Band, touted as the oldest band in the United States, will play at the fair for the first time in many years. A watermelon-eating contest, a new event, will be held.

Friday’s Northampton night theme highlight will be a funk, soul and disco festival. A local favorite, Flirtin’ with the Mob, will entertain. The horn band will perform hits from the 1960s on up by artists like the Average White Band, Kool and the Gang, Chicago and Tower of Power, to name a few. You also won’t want to miss the blueberry pie-eating contest.

On Saturday - the last day of the fair - firemen’s day promises plenty of excitement. The 10th annual benefit wiffle ball tournament starts off the festivities, beginning noon.

New this year, the Fabulous Mojo Kings, a Philadelphia band, with John Melinchok from Bill Haley’s Comets on lead vocals and guitar, will help you shake, rattle and roll the night away with rock, country and blues music at the band shell in the grove.

Also new for 2021 will be the firemen’s parade by Northampton Fire Department, followed by judging and award presentations to the participating fire departments.

Don’t forget to check out the hot dog-eating contest, where competitors can win a $50 or $100 cash prize.

Later, the Large Flowerheads band, which was slated for last year, will take the stage at the band shell on the hill with a groovy mix of British Invasion/Woodstock-era music. Think Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane and the Mamas and Papas, and you’re there.

A spectacular fireworks show, presented by Shooting Star Fireworks, will close out the event.

For a more detailed schedule, check out the ad on page A12 of this week’s Northampton Press or Northampton Exchange Club’s Facebook page.