For the love of country
Freedom Fest at Horse Park until Saturday
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

Trick horseback riding is part of the Great American Frontier and Wildlife Show featured in the Freedom Fest Fair at the Horse Park of New Jersey this week.

UPPER FREEHOLD - The town is buzzing with festival fever heated by agricultural enthusiasm.

The Horse Park of New Jersey is hosting the 2007 Freedom Fest Fair through July 14. An annual mission and fundraiser of the Allentown Presbyterian Church, the festival - which was designated as New Jersey's newest agricultural fair this year by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Monmouth County Board of Agriculture - promises to be bigger and better than ever.

"Freedom Fest is entering its fifth year and truly has become one of the largest events in this area," said Kevin Dreher, the event's co-chairman. "This year's event will offer more than double the amount of fun and family-friendly entertainment for all of our guests."

With its new location this year, the festival has room for more rides and amusements, bigger concerts and the addition of livestock fair with animals of all kinds.

The festival became the state's newest agricultural fair when it partnered with the Stars and Stripes Invitational livestock show. Stars and Stripes offers four open competitions and premiums and begins July 13 at the festival with dairy goat activities. The show continues July 14 with more livestock competitions as well as awards.

The fair will also have a Blue Ribbon Show for horticulture, foods, and fabrics and fiber. All exhibits are grown, made or arranged by the exhibitors, which represent four different states and will compete for prizes.

Visitors are encouraged to take part in all the exhibits, demonstrations and shows highlighting the agricultural heritage of New Jersey by stopping in at the fair's Agricultural Barn. Exhibitors will provide advice on planting, growing sod, knitting and various other crafts and hobbies. There will also be a variety of livestock such as cows, goats, sheep and much more on exhibit.

The festival will also include the Great American Frontier and Wildlife Show, a nationally recognized exhibition featuring mountain lions, black bears, timber wolves, an old-time juice saloon, a petting zoo, a cow exhibit and trick horseback riding.

For those looking for a little magic, Lance Gifford, a nationally recognized magician, will perform three shows nightly during the fair. Pigs will also race three times nightly in the Robinson's Racing Pigs and Paddling Porkers show.

Various horse shows will also take place during the festivities. The shows will feature many local groups and exhibitions on a lighted show ring.

Monster Truck Rides USA will offer rides in monster trucks for a nominal fee and the American Racing Mower Association will perform live at 7 p.m. Friday night.

For music lovers, Third Day, a Grammy Award-winning band based in Atlanta, will be performing an indoor rock concert July 12.

Other highlights of the fair on Thursday include a corn-shucking race at 6 p.m., a spinning demonstration at 7 p.m., a cattle grooming demonstration at 8 p.m., performances by the Millstone-based jazz-rock infusion band The After Effect at 8:20 p.m. and 9:40 p.m., and a wheelbarrow obstacle course at 9 p.m.

Highlights of the fair on July 13 include a seminar on keeping pets healthy at 6 p.m., performances by the Trump Boyz at 7 p.m., 8:20 p.m. and 9:40 p.m., a parasite monitoring for livestock seminar at 7 p.m., a composting demonstration at 8 p.m., an egg selection demonstration at 9 p.m., and a talk about how to raise a small sheep flock at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, July 14, the American Dairy Goat Association Open Show will start at 10 a.m. as will the Open Sheep and Open Fleece shows. The Fox Valley Freedom Riders drill team will perform at 11 a.m. The Appaloosa/North View Farm demo will start at 1 p.m. The Galveston Dressage demonstration will take place at 2 p.m. The Gypsy Horse exhibition will start at 2:30 p.m.

On Saturday, there will also be a carriage parade at 3 p.m., a Standardbred Pleasure Horse - War Re-enactment on Horseback at 3:40 p.m. and a performance by Mr. Ray, including music for kids at 4 p.m.

The day will continue with a Hitchen a Stride drill team performance at 4:30 p.m., and a horse parade at 6 p.m. Poultry raising will be the topic at an 8 p.m. lecture. The Billy Hill Band will perform at 8:20 and 9:40 p.m. and flower arranging techniques will be discussed at 9 p.m.

The sky will light up at 10 p.m. with a fireworks display.

This year's midway features the fair unit of Amusements of America and has more than 30 rides and attractions. The fair also has 30-plus different food vendors along with an array of corporate and craft vendors.

Admission to the fair is $5 daily, but entry for children ages 10 and under is free.

Proceeds from the fair will help local organizations such as the Allentown Presbyterian Church, St. John's Catholic Church, St. James Church, the GiveBack Foundation, the Hope Fire Company, the Allentown First Aid Squad, Adoptive Parents of Central Jersey and the Upper Freehold PTA.

Festival hours will be 5-11 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.

There will be continuous shuttle bus service from downtown Allentown, Allentown High School and Byron Johnson Park.

The Horse Park of New Jersey is located off Route 195, Exit 11, in Upper Freehold Township. Parking at the venue is free.