By Ryan Smith

As we all know, the Bloomsburg Fair is coming up this weekend, starting this Friday afternoon after we are dismissed from school. Over the years, we’ve all developed our own opinions of the fair. Some of us may love the fair for its opportunities to get together with friends, others may find the negative elements outweigh/overshadow the positives.

“I don’t like how much traffic the fair brings in because it can be a pain to get in and out of town during the week,” explained senior Lincoln Dunlap

“In recent years I’ve noticed that the fairgrounds are overrun with litter and dropped food items in the walking spaces and beside stands,” stated senior Shaye Trivelpiece.

“...some nights the fair is really loud and can stay loud until midnight or even past that, which makes sleeping harder,” spoke junior Kiernan Adams.

If you are one of those people who find the cons of the fair to make attending the fair not worth it, or simply have no interest in going this year, there are plenty of local alternatives that can give you the fun of the fair, while avoiding all of the things you hate. Here are 6 alternatives to going to the fair this year, that are still equally as fun:

Ricketts Glen State Park

Do you enjoy being immersed in nature? Then you can spend next week exploring the eleven trails at Ricketts Glen State Park, located near Benton. Ricketts Glen spans the historic Glens Natural Area, and features over 13,193 acres of natural land, 22 named waterfalls, and 26 miles of hiking trails, according to their website. “[Ricketts Glen] is beautiful and I think represents the best views in Pennsylvania,” explained senior Bella Pistoia. “My favorite trail is the Falls Trail for the scenic view and challenging hike.” While Ricketts Glen offers a variety of hikes, you can also enjoy hunting in over 10000 acres of game land, fishing in Lake Jean, and horseback riding on a few of the trails. Plus, the park is open seven days a week!

Knoebels Amusement Resort

Are you a theme park fanatic but don’t like breaking your bank? Then Knoebels Amusement Resort is the perfect place for you! Located in Elysburg, Knoebels allows you to spend your weekend riding a selection of 63 rides and 6 well-known roller coasters, or enjoy some of the other attractions, such as an arcade, a mini-golf course, and several food and drink stands and gift shops. Plus, the park offers free parking and free admission, so you’ll hardly spend a thing!

“...it’s nice to be able to park and walk into a theme park for free. Sure, you have to pay for

food and tickets, but realistically you could spend a whole day at a really neat place at no charge!” said senior Shaye Trivelpiece. Walking through Knoebels is very fun, but if you have other ideas of fun than roaming an amusement park, Knoebels also has a campground and 18-hole golf course!

Hersheypark

Looking to escape the chaos of the fair for the whole weekend? Take a weekend getaway to Hersheypark, where you can enjoy a large selection of 76 rides, 15 roller coasters, an arcade, several themed areas and restaurants, and a zoo featuring animals from all across the continent. Plus, if you want to touch up on your knowledge of chocolate, Hersheypark offers a selection of ‘chocolate tours,’ where you can take an indoor excursion relating to the production and taste of Hershey chocolate. Of course, all of this doesn’t come for free, but Hersheypark has a wide variety of attractions and activities that make spending the money worth it.

The Links at Hemlock Creek

If you’re a golf connoisseur, consider spending a day of your fair break at The Links at

Hemlock Creek, an 18-hole golf course located just outside of Bloomsburg. The Links welcomes golfers of all ages and skill levels, and offers complete memberships and great price rates. “The Links is my favorite local golf course, it’s not too tough and it’s always fun to go up with friends and play,” stated senior Lincoln Dunlap. The Links offers relative challenge and friendliness to all golfers, and if you’re hungry after your round of golf, Craft Catering has a restaurant location on the grounds, and offers a wide selection of delicious dishes.

The Works

Want to unleash your inner kid? Then take the trek to Wyomissing and visit The Works, an old factory turned into an indoor playground. The Works features a game room, go-karts, a trampoline park, a ball pit for young kids, and two restaurants to choose from. Junior Kiernan Adams claimed that The Works is one of his favorite places, due to all of the options for fun to choose from. The Works is a great choice to take a day trip over your fair break.

Pocono Raceway

Do you like cars, but don’t like the cars in the fair traffic? Then take a day out of your fair break to head to the Pocono Raceway, where instead of watching cars stay in one place due to traffic, you can watch them travel at speeds higher than the speed limits on interstates! The Pocono Raceway offers a variety of racing events next week, from EMRA (Eastern Motor Racing Association) racing and Tough Mudder events on the 28th and 29th, to competitive NEPASCCA racing on the 21st and 22nd and SCCA Track Night in America on the 26th.