The sign on the Agri-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds says it all:

“See you at The Fair.”

In 2021, you can say that again to family and friends.

And you can actually do that.

No one could be more pleased than Jessica Ciecwisz, Marketing & Entertainment Manager for the Great Allentown Fair.

“The Fair is back,” Ciecwisz says. “It’s going to be a full-fledged Fair of what we did in the past.

“Powers Great American Midways will be here with a wide array of rides, games and food stands.”

“They’re [Powers] going to be debuting two new rides,” says Ciecwisz.

The Allentown Fair was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown.

“It was over 100 years since we canceled,” Ciecwisz says.

The Allentown Fair dates to 1952. During its 169-year history, the Fair wasn’t held in 1917 and 1918 during World War I when the Allentown Fairgrounds became Camp Crane, a training facility for the United States Army Ambulance Service training facility. The Fair was also not held 1942 - 1945 during World War II.

Ciecwisz was interviewed Aug. 27 by a reporter for The Lehigh Valley Press in her Allentown Fairgrounds office that overlooks the Fairgrounds Grandstand and stage. Workers were busy working in the Grandstand area.

Hours for the 2021 Fair, with the phrase “Reboot to our Roots”; 4 - 10 p.m. Sept. 1; noon - 10 p.m. Sept. 2-5, and noon - 6 p.m. Sept. 6.

Grandstand headliners are Toby Keith, Sept. 2; Carrie Underwood, Sept. 3, and AJR, Sept. 5. Tickets are available for Grandstand shows.

Carrie Underwood was a carryover, as was Toby Keith. Both were to perform at the 2020 Fair. AJR is a new addition booked for the 2021 Fair.

As of the interview for this article, face masks are not required for those attending Grandstand shows.

The Fair concludes Sept. 6, Labor Day with the J&J Demolition Derby.

Face masks are recommended to be worn inside buildings on the Fairgrounds.

“We’re working with the City of Allentown Health Bureau. We’re following the recommendations. And we’re following CDC guidelines,” says Ciecwisz, adding, “It is recommended that people wear a mask in the Agri-Plex and Market Building.”

Only five percent of the 46-acre Fairgrounds is indoors.

Face masks are not required outdoors at the 2021 Fair.

There are additional hand-sanitizer stations on the Allentown Fairgrounds, in addition to those at Powers Midway facilities and in the livestock area, where hand-sanitizers have been available for years.

Covid vaccinations are offered free in the Agri-Plex during the 2021 Fair. Covid vaccinations were administered by the Allentown Health Bureau starting Jan. 25 in the Agri-Plex.

The decision to hold the 2021 Great Allentown Fair was made only a few months ago.

“It was kind of one of those things, wait and see, wait and see,” Ciecwisz says.

Fair officials announced July 8 that the 2021 Fair would be held.

After working from home since March 23, 2020, Ciecwisz and Terri Schwenk, Information Specialist, Great Allentown Fair, returned full-time May 10 to the Fair office.

“It’s exciting to be back,” says Ciecwisz. “There’s more to worry about than just the weather, though.”

It’s the third Fair for Ciecwisz as marketing and entertainment manager. It’s the 24th Fair and 25th year for Schwenk, who has been with the Fair since 1996.

“It was around Memorial Day [2021] when we got the idea that ‘Hey, we’re doing the full-fledged Fair [for 2021],’” says Ciecwisz.

The Fair’s eight-member executive committee made the decision.

In recent years, The Fair opened on a Tuesday. For, 2021, instead of Aug. 31, the Fair opened on a Wednesday.

“Our Midway company ends events at the Dutchess Fair in Rhinebeck, N.Y. It was always tight to open on a Tuesday,” Ciecwisz says.

The 2021 Dutchess Fair, Aug. 24-29, Rhinebeck, N.Y., is approximately 174 miles from Allentown.

“As for 2022, we’ve already decided that it will be Aug. 31 [Wednesday] - Sept. 5 [Labor Day],” says Ciecwisz.

Entries for contests in the Agri-Plex and for livestock are fewer for 2021 than in 2019.

The deadline for entries for culinary contests in the Agri-Plex was extended.

“We extended the entries for the 11 culinary contests, not the regular livestock and regular blue-ribbon contests. The reason we extended the deadline is because we kind of announced it later and we went digital,” Ciecwisz says.

The Premium Book for the 2021 Fair of contest categories, registration details and entry deadlines was not a print booklet, but was online only. Registration also was online only.

“We had no on-site registration this year,” says Ciecwisz, adding, “We still have the Premium Book. It’s just all online.”

Covid concerns were paramount with Fair officials concerning in-person registration.

“Why put people at risk if you don’t need to?” Ciecwisz says.

“With the change in going digital, our numbers are down a little bit,” Ciecwisz says of the entries.

Livestock entries for the 2021 Fair are 680, compared to 805 livestock entries in 2019, which were “high numbers.”

The Fair lost $4 million in revenue in 2020.

Because The Lehigh County Agricultural Society, owner-operator of The Allentown Fairgrounds and The Great Allentown Fair, is a 501 G-5 nonprofit, an agriculture category, rather than a 501 C-3 nonprofit, it didn’t qualify for federal government Covid relief funds.

Ciecwisz says that other fairs across the nation, as with The Great Allentown Fair, have been open for the 2021 season. “The vast majority of them are back,” says Ciecwisz.

“It’s been a roller-coaster. There have been a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” Ciecwisz says, adding, “I think everyone is excited that the Fair is back. There’s no doubt about that.”

Fair attractions

Powers Great American Midways: New rides are “Itsy-Bitsy Spider Wheel,” at 100-foot-high, said to be one of the largest traveling Ferris wheels in the world, and “Sky Hawk,” spinning in a circle high in the air with riders “flying” in a prone position.

The Flying Wallendas: a family high-wire act

Hog Diggity Dog: a hog, 13 rescue dogs and two camels

Agri-Plex: showcasing what is grown, cooked, created and collected in displays and contests. There’s a Farm-to-Table Cooking Series, Iron Chef Battle contest, and Centennial Stage

Agri-Plex Square-Harvest Patio: with a view of the ZuZu Acrobats

Robinson’s Paddling Porkers: racing and swimming pigs

RCN Farmerama Theater: entertainment and contests

The Puppy Pals Comedic Stunt Dog Show: straight from “America’s Got Talent.”

Agri-Land: livestock

Lil’ Farm Hands: fun games

4-H Petting Zoo: Lehigh County 4-H Clubs

Judging Tent: livestock competition

Music at The MainGate: The Cherry Bombs, Scott Marshall Band, Girl Crue, Space Kamp, Bassline International, Joel El Superable.

Fair discounts

Great Allentown Fair, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown

There’s free admission noon - 2 p.m. Sept. 2 and Sept. 3.

Senior Citizens Day is free admission Sept. 6.

Active military and veterans are admitted free Sept. 6.

All-day ride tickets are available.

Infield parking is available.

Information: http://www.allentownfairpa.org; 610-433-7541