The 48th Annual Riverhead Country Fair is set to take place in downtown Riverhead Sunday, and, with the weather forecast calling for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 69º, Sunday promises to be a perfect day for the fair.
A local favorite, the Riverhead Country Fair features vendors galore — from artisan crafts to food and local craft spirits and beverages, plus live entertainment, craft demonstrations, antique tractor and machinery displays.
The agricultural and homemakers competition boasts more than 300 competition categories to show off the efforts of local growers, crafters, artisans, bakers and vegetable decorators, with ribbons and cash prizes awarded to top entries.
The fair is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the Peconic Riverfront and on Main Street in the heart of the historic downtown district. Main Street from Union Avenue to Griffing Avenue, Peconic Avenue, Heidi Behr Way and the riverfront parking lots will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m.
The Riverhead Country Fair can trace its roots all the way back to the 1840s. But the fair as we know it today was founded by Riverhead Townscape, a nonprofit organization established during the American bicentennial year of 1976 to beautify downtown Riverhead.
The founders of Townscape decided to reinstitute an annual fair in Riverhead to celebrate the community’s rich agricultural heritage. Riverhead, the county seat of Suffolk, was the site of the Suffolk County fair from the 1840s until some time during the Great Depression, according to the late longtime Country Fair organizer, Jim Lull. It was then hosted by the Riverhead Agricultural Society, held on property that came to be known as the fairgrounds, just north of Pulaski Street. After the Great Depression, it was held erratically until 1976, when it was resurrected by Townscape.
It has been held every year since, rain or shine, with the exception of 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entries in the agricultural, homemaking and needlecraft competition, including the crowd-pleasing pumpkin and vegetable decorating contest, will be accepted Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 6 to 8 a.m.
There will be plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy.
For more information visit the Riverhead Country Fair website.
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