Acts add Wild West appeal to Derry Township Agricultural Fair
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A taste of the Wild West will greet visitors to this year’s Derry Township Agricultural Fair, which is slated Sunday through July 15 along Route 982 north of New Derry.
One of the fair’s featured attractions will be Cowboy Andy Rotz.
“He does knife-throwing and lassoing, and he has a dog that does tricks,” said fair board President Brandon Komar. “It’s going to be a heck of a show.”
Rotz has been recognized for his fast-draw pistol-shooting skills and set a Guinness World Record for completing the most consecutive Texas skips with his lasso: 11,123 in three hours and 10 minutes. In the maneuver, the competitor jumps through the center of the large twirling lasso with each pass.
Rotz will perform three times daily, at 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Part of the act includes throwing knives “dangerously close to his fearless assistant as she whirls around on the flaming wheel of death,” according to promotional material.
Continuing the theme, members of the Keystone Cowboys organization will demonstrate shooting skills while mounted on horseback at 7 p.m. Monday in the fair’s outdoor arena.
Other entertainment includes a magic show, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and bands performing live music each evening, beginning Monday.
The Barnyard Cackle Review is “a fun and informational show,” Komar said. “It’s a barnyard trailer with singing and joking (animatronic) chickens.”
In between jokes, the corny cutups will share information about chickens and their role in agriculture 4 to 10 p.m. daily.
Carnival rides will operate 4 to 10 p.m. each day.
The fair offers a variety of other activities for participants and spectators to enjoy, including a quad rodeo, tractor pulls and an animal dressing contest. A fair queen contest and opening ceremonies are set for 7 p.m. Sunday.
Young competitors will show their livestock and pets and, on July 15, participate in 4-H rocketry and archery events. A new event this year is a donut-eating contest, set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“We have a smaller fair with a big fair vibe,” Komar said. “We have a wide array of food vendors,” offering such treats as sausage, stromboli and pastries.
“Our biggest attraction usually is the fireworks on Friday night,” he said. The display is set for 10 p.m.
While some attractions are available on mornings and early afternoons, the fair midway and vendors are open and admission is charged 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday and July 15, 4 to 10 p.m. weekdays.
Admission is $5 per person, free for kids 4 or younger.
Visit derrytwpagfair.com for more information and to download a complete schedule.