The Reason...

The 2018 Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair opened today and runs through the 25th. This is the reason I have gone.

But for many long time residents of Centre County, the usual fair attractions - food, competitions, displays, rides and professional acts - are secondary. Communing with family and friends for nine days is the primary reason many local families are rooted in the Grange Fair. Family reunions and vacations at the Fair are common among the campers.

The Grange Fair is the oldest encampment fair in the US, first held in 1874. Families stay in the same tents year after year and tent locations are often passed down through generations. Many more families stay in RVs parked at the fairground. In total, 200,000 people attend the fair each year. (The photos were taken with an iPhone 6.)