You can rock out and have a smashing good time in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley this Labor Day weekend at the Great Allentown Fair.
The fair, which is celebrating 170 years, runs from Wednesday, Aug. 31, to Monday, Sept. 5. It features concerts, a demolition derby, amusement rides, plenty of food and the Agri-Plex, featuring an Iron Chef-style competition.
The fair takes place on the grounds of the aptly-named Allentown Fairgrounds located at 302 N 17th St. The fair covers the ground between 17th and 21st streets and Liberty and Chew streets.
Here are five of the top things (besides all the fair food) to check out:
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
A Labor Day Bash
Wrap up the Labor Day weekend with the J&J Demolition Derby in the grandstand area.
"J&J Demolition Derby is a Labor Day tradition where fenders fly on the Allentown Fairground’s historic racetrack as drivers, crash and smash into each other in qualifying heats until the last vehicle running becomes The Beast of the East Champion," the fair says on its website.
The Scene
Besides the fender-crunching, there is the Kids Power Wheels exhibition that "allows children ages 4-10 to show off their driving skills on the historic racetrack."
Including fees, tickets start at $15.90 for kids 12 and under and $22.50 for adults.
Going Country
Country star Cole Swindell takes the stage Friday, Sept. 2.
In less than a decade on the country music scene, Swindell has already racked up 11 No. 1 hits as an artist. Fans can sing along to "Never Say Never," "Single Saturday Night" and his other hits.
Tickets range from $54 to $84, before fees.
Punk Rock Shows
Fans of punk music will get two nights to rock out during the fair as Celtic punk stars Dropkick Murphys take the Grandstand stage Thursday, Sept. 1, and Philly-area pop punk favorites The Wonder Years headline on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Fellow punk legends the Bouncing Souls will join Dropkick Murphys Thursday night. Tickets to that show start at $49, before fees.
Fellow Philly band The Starting Line and Brooklyn's Charly Bliss will open for the The Wonder Years Sunday night. Standing room tickets start at just $25 (plus fees) for the Sunday concert.
Ready to Ride?
The Powers Great American Midway features "State Fair"-caliber rides for kids and adults. Some of the rides include Crazy Chopper, Dizzy Dragons, Freedom Wheel, Jet Boats, Magic Maze, Starship 300 and the always popular Super Slide.
Pre-sale all day wristbands start at $20, plus fees.
Crowning the Allentown Fair Queen
Head to the fair on opening night (Aug. 31) to find out who will be crowned Fair Queen. The five finalists are Allison Emanuel, Kamryn Fink, Emily Lamana, Lissamarie Rojas and Madison Short.
Check out this news release from fair organizers for bios on each finalist.
Here is what to know about admission to the fair.
What Are the Hours of the Fair?
Aug. 31 - 4 to 10 pm.
Sept 1 to Sept 5 - noon to 10 p.m.
How Much Do Tickets Cost?
Admission to the fair is $8 for any person 13 and older. Kids 12 and under get in for free. You can get two tickets for the price of one during the pre-sale.
The grandstand concerts and midway rides and games cost extra.
Admission is free for anyone who gets to the fair before 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; active military members and veterans with ID all day Thursday; and for Seniors (65+) all day Monday.
Check Before You Go
The Great Allentown Fair lists items that you can and can't bring, parking information and plenty of other details on its website. You also should expect to go through metal detectors as you enter fairgrounds.
