Ocean County Fair a Meyer Family Tradition for Decades

The first Ocean County Fair had a modest beginning when it first debuted in Lakewood back in 1946.

The 4-H Club showed off some prize cows. Fair visitors chowed down on barbecued chicken. There were a few kiddie rides.

These days, the fair is a much more complicated venture.

And the Meyer family of Toms River has been at the epicenter since the 1970s, when daughter Tammy entered one of her rabbits in a 4-H contest and won a prize.

Kitty Meyer started preparing for the event months ago, when snow was still falling.

She has plenty of experience. For several decades she and her husband O.J. Meyer took care of the myriad details involved in putting a real country fair. Unfortunately, O.J. was felled by a stroke two years ago and can no longer participate.

"It's hard for all of us," Kitty said. "Especially at the fair."

But Kitty, son Chip, daughters Tammy Sauer and Jodie Heesters and five Meyer grandchildren are continuing the tradition.

The fair kicks off tonight at Robert J. Miller Airpark on Route 530 at 5 p.m. It will run through Sunday. Hours for Tuesday and Wednesday are 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The fair will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults. Children under 10 are admitted free.

The Ocean County Fair Committee has tried to preserve as much of the flavor of an old-time country fair as possible. The Ocean County 4-H Club handles all the animal events. Some of the highlights this year include an open Western horse show, open English horse show, a 4-H goat show, a 4-H cat show, the Clover Buds horse show, and costume contests for horses and small animals.

The fair includes traditional rides, but the ride section and the rest of the fair section are separate, Kitty Meyer said.

Dennis Beach from Pennsylvania will be on hand every day of the fair, demonstrating the fine art of chainsaw carving. A number of his items will be on sale at the fair. Whatever hasn't sold by Saturday will be auctioned off. Beach will do special orders on Sunday, she said.

The wolves from the Disney movie "Sorcerer's Apprentice" and other animals from Howling Woods Farm will be on hand Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday. Children can have their pictures taken with the animals.

Some of the other events include "hot dog pig racing," which actually features dachshunds, not pigs; broomstick polo, children's pie and pudding eating contests on the weekend, and a women's cast iron skillet toss, a crowd favorite last year, Kitty Meyer said.

But there won't be much in the way of food judging at the fair. There's a reason for that. Ants.

"We stopped because we had such an ant problem," Kitty Meyer said. "The ants moved in before we could even start the judging."

There will, however, be plenty of food from different vendors. Barbecued turkey legs, ribs of all kinds, jerk chicken, pork on a stick, pizza, hot dogs, Italian ices, smoothies, funnel cakes and cotton candy are just some of the items available for purchase, she said.

Also gone are the infamous goat milking contests between local politicians. One of the most popular ones took place in the early 1990s, when Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari went up against Berkeley Mayor Bill Zimmermann Jr. Vicari won.

"I think Joe Vicari can retire with his title intact," county Public Affairs Director Barbara W. Steele said.

The fair was held at Ocean County Park in Lakewood for years. But it moved to Robert J. Miller Airpark in the 1980s, she said.

"The cars would tear up the lawn and it would cost us big bucks to get it in shape again," Steele said.

Come back to Patch each day for postings on this week's events.