About the Fair

A Tale of Community Pride

This year, the Hopewell Harvest Fair celebrates 25 years of providing a day of entertainment and fun on the extensive grounds of Hopewell Elementary School in the heart of Hopewell Borough.

The fair, a nonprofit run entirely by volunteers, continues the tradition of offering an array of activities to suit all ages. Kids relish inflatable rides, sack races, a petting zoo, and Lego contests, while adults can shop for jewelry, enter cake and pie contests, and chat with representative from local businesses. Teenagers often come to the fair to meet up with friends—and get something good to eat. Why not sample a fancy marinara pizza, meatball sandwich and homemade pumpkin muffin?

Be sure to pick up an Almanac where you’ll find a schedule of events and a map with the locations of activities. The program also lists individuals, local businesses and corporations that have contributed funds, time and prizes to make the fair a success. These people are the “heartbeat” of the fair. As a note, money raised from the fair is used to help fund community organizations.

The day encourages residents to slow down as they enjoy a hayride with their children, find the perfect gift handcrafted by a local artisan, and view homegrown zucchini , sunflowers and tomatoes.  Most events are non-competitive and the emphasis is on enjoying one’s self instead of winning.

Following tradition, the fair will open with the Hopewell Valley High School Marching Band, whose drum major will lead a field show with the color guard.  Then head over to the tent for more entertainment. This year Miss Amy, a Grammy nominated singer who was recently dubbed “The First Lady of Musical Fitness,” will perform in the Fitness Rock & Roll show where children can’t help but boogie down to the music. The Sarah Donner Trio continues with more tunes.  Sarah Donner, a local pop musician who loves cats and sequins, works the stage with powerful vocals and a zippy guitar. If you’re a fan of the TV series Glee, then you’ll enjoy the theater performance of Destiny Arts, a Hamilton-based company that provides dance and acting classes. The afternoon is filled with pop songs from the band Jåc; Creole and Cajun music from the five-piece band Johnny Ace and Sidewalk Zydeco; and bluegrass tunes from the honky-tonk group Cherrypickers.

A stroll around the grounds leads to displays of those who entered contests. In the school’s cafeteria, you can see children racing cars they made for the Pine Wood Derby contest. Outside in the Contests area, you can view monsters and vehicles that children built from Legos and K’nexx and nature scenes photographed by both the young and the old.  Continue to Business Alley where you can talk to area companies about their services, and Exhibitors’ Row where you can find out about local community organizations and their worthy causes. If you reach the Country Games area, children will undoubtedly be involved in three-legged and wheelbarrow races, water balloon tosses, and tomato smashes. At the Farmers’ Market, you can chat with local farmers about their produce and in the Crafters tent you can purchase jewelry, pottery and other artwork created by local artists. And if at any time you need help, go to the information booth where volunteers can assist you.

We hope you enjoy your day at the Hopewell Harvest Fair. It’s a time that the community highlights what it is most proud of—local produce, art, musicians, and companies—but never forgetting the people who have generously given of themselves to keep a community spirit alive.

  • Our History: A Community Tradition for Two Families

    The Hopewell Harvest Fair holds special memories for two long-time residents and their families. Roxanne Klett and Peggy Connolly speak fondly about how their children—now grown—loved the day-long event that featured rides, contests and entertainment. It was a time to reconnect with friends, and fostered in them a sense of community and volunteerism that continues to this day. Both women now chair committees: Roxanne is responsible for entertainment, while Peggy runs logistics and set up and sits on the board as treasurer.
    “It’s a great community event that helps other community groups,” says Peggy.

    Peggy and Roxanne started volunteering at the fair when they were leaders for their daughters’ Girl Scouts troops. Roxanne’s troop managed a country game booth called the Frog Bog and Peggy’s troop also ran a game. “The girls loved playing games, seeing the animals, and getting to pick what they wanted to eat,” says Peggy.
    The fair provided a fun day for Roxanne’s daughters. “My husband and I would load our two little girls into a big red wagon and walk over to the field,” she says. “We enjoyed many hours of this old-school family event that required very little pocket change, and reminded me of home.”

    Roxanne was born in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, which resembles Hopewell in that it’s a small borough surrounded by farm land and a large township. Many of its community events are staffed by local volunteers and church groups. “The whole concept of volunteering is a major part of my philosophy,” she says. “It is a necessary element of community development and presents a positive influence on the youth.”

    Peggy’s oldest daughter, Erin, continues to volunteer at the fair. Last year, she helped sell tickets, and the year before that, she manned the petting zoo. She recollects how the family got their black and white cat at the fair almost a dozen years ago. “We love the cat,” says Erin, 27.
    Hugh Connolly, Peggy’s husband, oversees the fair’s contests, including ones for photography, art, and baked goods. He also mans a table on Business Alley for his Hopewell-based company, Connolly Architecture. “I don’t sell anything at my booth,” he says. “It’s just a way to keep my name out in front of people.”

    For the Connolly family, the fair has become a Hopewell tradition. “It’s a fun day and helps people out in the form of grants it gives out,” says Hugh. “That’s why I’ve been doing it and why I continue to go.”