Despite rain, Monmouth County Fair a huge success On July 29, the Monmouth County Fair ended on a wet note when a summer rainstorm forced an early closing on its fifth and final day at the East Freehold Park Show grounds. Interestingly, while it rained repeatedly in other parts of the county up until then, the fair enjoyed four solid days of dry weather, steady attendance, and lots of fun. Even minus the popular pie-eating contest that usually caps off the last day, the 2007 fair attracted 65,500 visitors. This year's event featured many of the usual crowd-pleasers: all different types of entertainment from pig races, reptile shows and 4-H demonstrations to music on the main stage; foods of every color and variety (the frozen chocolate-covered bananas looked tasty); and critters from all corners of the farm - including some very large rabbits - competing in 4-H-sponsored events. A special thank you is in order to the sponsors who make many of our most popular events a reality: JCP&L First Energy Foundation for the home and garden tent, Tri-State Building Specialties for the racing pigs, K Hovnanian Children's Hospital for the petting farm, and Verizon for the lumberjack show. Wemrock Orchards once again donated the tasty pies (they were donated after the contest was rained out to local nursing homes). Finally, as fair chairman, I especially appreciate the hard work put in by all the staff to make this event a reality. I'd like to personally thank the 2007 Park System Fair Committee, as well as all the talented coordinators from 4-H for their hard work. This cooperative effort between the Park System and 4-H is a great summer tradition that provides affordable family fun and great memories for all. Drew D'Apolito 2007 Monmouth County Fair chairman