Up, Up and Away

Time does have a way of slipping so quick. While looking at photos taken the past few months, I found ones taken in September and October and never posted. This is a recap in a single post. 

If you've ever seen a multitude of hot air balloons n one location, it's really quite an amazing sight, especially when they start to ascend all around you.

Some of the balloons at the Lancaster event

These were among the nearly 40 colorful balloons we saw in mid-Sept at the Lancaster Balloon festival held in the village of Bird-in-Hand, PA. The three-day festival featured the mass launch of dozens of beautiful balloons, family entertainment, fire works, food, and Amish-made goods. This event was held in the heart of Lancaster Amish country. 

Some creative hot air balloon edits

Friends who we knew from NJ had recently relocated to this area and told us about this event. It also gave us a chance to visit with the youngest granddaughter and her parents who went with us. While we watched the mass ascensions on Saturday night, we didn't purchase a 30-60 minute ride at a cost of $350 per person. It's something to consider another time. (If anyone reading this post has ascended, please share your experience in the comments.)

Since the early 1960s, people from across the country and around the world have come to visit a very unique Strasburg, PA attraction, the Choo Choo Barn - Traintown U.S.A.®. This unique 1,700 square foot train layout features over 150 hand-built animated figures and vehicles plus 22 operating trains.

The history of this attraction dates to the end of WW II when returning veteran George Groff bought an electric train set for his 2-year old son. Over time he expanded the layout housed in the basement of their home. When the family, which included three children, moved to another home in the early 1950s, the layout moved too. It expanded and a new display was readied for the holiday season that residents and school children visited annually.

By the time, his eldest son was ready for college and funds were needed, Groff decided to make his hobby a business. The nearby Strasburg Railroad was already attracting tourists to the area, so he bought a small barn and moved the train layout. On Thanksgiving Day 1961, the Choo Choo Barn opened with six trains and animated displays. Admission fee was 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Current rates are $8.50 for adults, $5 children 3 to 11 years, and $6 for veterans and active military. Grof's second son, Tom, who learned the business from age 11, took it over in 1979 and with the help of his wife has continually expanded the layout. 

It's easy to spend upwards of an hour walking around the layout, which changes from day to night time when the rom darkens and stars come out. Thousands of miniatures populate the layout with over 150 animations. Figures include firemen, skiers, circus performers, construction workers, a wedding party, Amish raising a barn. Many of the scenes depict Lancaster, PA attractions like Dutch Wonderland and the Strasburg Railroad. The layout has numerous switches, relays and timers to operate the display and scenes include actions like firefighters racing to extinguish a house a fire, skiers going up a slope, workers hammering to build a home.

A visit here has become a family tradition for many people including ourselves. The display continues to updated and restored. There's always something new to see even on repeat visits.

In early October, we were in Deerfield, NH, for our first time visit to the popular Deerfield Fair.  Like so many other events, this annual event was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. That made this year's fair very heavily attended over its four-day run. Crowd estimates were placed at over 100,000. Even local school are cancelled in Deerfield the Friday of the fair.

The fair began as an agricultural showcase and that's still the heart of the event. The barns are just about full with a lot of farm families with their animals. While agriculture is the theme, there were commercial wares for sale as well.

Deerfield was once a thriving farm community which was bypassed by the railroads. To attract visitors, the town established the Deerfield Fair in 1876. Since then, it's been called New England's Oldest Family Fair.

Two of many cows at the Deerfield Fair

This event always features many displays of farm animals, produce and crafts, amusement park rides and foods ranging from standard fare foods like fried dough to sausage sandwiches (which were very good). It's held on the huge Deerfield Fairgrounds which has permanent buildings for the farm animals. 

Antique tractors and machinery, hay baling at the Deerfield Fair

During our one-day visit we watched events that included horse and dairy shows, farm horse competition, cattle and horse pulls, woodsman’s contest, pig scramble, steer show, hay baling, antique tools, and many antique farm tractors.

Deerfield Fair horse pull

The fair dates to a time when farmers used horses and oxen to clear their fields and horse pulling remains a popular fair events that's always well attended. Draft horses were used as work animals and farmers would challenge one another to see what horse/team was stronger. Today, the sport is serious competition among some of the strongest horses. The starting pull load for a team of two horses is 1500 pounds.

The sport of horse pulling has evolved with rules and regulations and collars and harness made specifically for the sport. Competitions follow a strict set of rules designed to ensure the safety of the animals and fairness among competing teams with different weight classes. Draft horses are built for strength and endurance. Those seen at competitions may not be working the fields, but instead follow an intense workout schedule. Animal cruelty is strictly forbidden. 

This year, the performance headliners were The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known high wire and circus troupe. This was the first time we had seen these professionals perform feats definitely not to performed at home even not on a high wire. 

We've had more adventures since these outings, including a visit to PA museum where we had lots of time (a teaser).