At the Hometown Country Fair, attendees will enjoy a dog parade, live music including from the CVHS jazz band, plenty of fun activities and dignitaries like Kathryn Barger (shown here with members of the Prom Plus Club).

File photos

The 17^th annual Hometown Country Fair includes all the things the local fair is known for.

By Lynn SHER

The Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 17^th annual Hometown Country Fair on Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Fair takes place at Crescenta Valley Park, 3901 Dunsmore Ave., and admission is free! Fairgoers will find plenty of parking and Steve Pierce of the 2023 Hometown Country Fair planning committee thinks it’s going to be the best Hometown Country Fair ever.

“There will be all types of vendors, live music starting as early as 9 a.m. with high-energy rock music and activities all day long,” Pierce said. “The Guide Dogs of America and the Pasadena Humane Society will also be on-site.”

Pierce has been involved with the Fair since its beginning when it was held in September.

“We were flooded out the first year and baked by scorching temperatures the next,” he said. “Since we’ve moved it to April we haven’t had those issues, though we have had to compete with other community events ­– but that’s what I love about the Crescenta Valley.”

While the Fair serves as a fundraiser for the CV Chamber of Commerce it is also an opportunity to bring the community together while helping local businesses network. Between 4,000 and 5,000 attendees are expected this year.

“The Hometown Country Fair has steadily grown to be a very popular event with this year promising to be bigger and better than ever before,” said Chamber President JD Speas. “There will be entertainment for the whole family with music, craft vendors, local community service vendors, an inflatable playground for kids, dog parade, pie-eating contest and more! And it’s free to attend! We look forward to the community coming out and having fun. For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce office at (818) 248-4957.”

Activities throughout the day include music and dance performances, which are scheduled throughout the day, and the always-popular pie-eating contest. Attendees will also find amusement rides, bounce houses, classic car display, a pet parade and a petting zoo. There will be plenty to see, too, with a record 70 vendors on-site featuring everything from information booths to arts and crafts exhibits. And what would a fair be without classic fair food? Five food trucks will provide everything from jerk chicken to burgers and desserts. Local rock band The Sardo Brothers will begin playing as early as 9 a.m. playing music from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. The highly-lauded Crescenta Valley High School jazz band and the Rosemont Middle School jazz band will also perform. They’ll be cheered on by the Rosemont Middle School cheer team, whose members will be performing as well.

Also scheduled to make appearances are Congresswoman Judy Chu, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who will be overseeing the dog parade with Chamber President Speas, and State Senator Anthony Portantino, who will be presiding over the much-anticipated pie-eating contest. The Patsy Metzger Dancers are returning to the Fair this year for a second time. The troupe has performed in various configurations in the Los Angeles area since 1981. And premiering this year at the Fair is a Korean dance troupe that will dance to the rhythms of traditional Korean drumming.

Local first responders, including firefighters and members of the Montrose Search and Rescue team, will be present to take in the festivities and to connect with the community they serve. For those who ever wondered how guide dogs are trained, Guide Dogs of America will be on-site, demonstrating how they work with their puppies.

The Hometown Country Fair encompasses everything CV residents seem to love about living here in these foothills: small town charm and culture, local businesses, family and community.

A complete schedule of the day’s events is on this page.

FOR JUMP PAGE Hometown Country Fair Program Schedule (1)