![Opening Day, Tuesday, August 2, is Carload Night at the Ulster County Fair, with up to eight people per car admitted for $40, beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday night brings a fireworks display, and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seniors get in free.](https://ulsterpub.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/uc-fair-@.jpg)
The venerable Ulster County Fair has returned to the Ulster County Fairgrounds, just west of New Paltz. It offers all the wholesome sorts of entertainment that one expects from such an event: competitions for the healthiest-looking, best-groomed cow or goat or rabbit or hen, or the tastiest pie, pickle or preserve; thrill rides and games of chance; horse shows and tractor pulls; racing pigs, chainsaw artists, a juggler and a petting zoo. There are food trucks galore, not to mention those thick milkshakes prepared by teenage 4-H Clubbers to raise funds for their activities. Live music performances in the Entertainment Area will include Branch and Dean on Friday, Courtney Cole on Saturday and Craig Wayne Boyd on Sunday.
The Fairgrounds open at 10 a.m. and the rides begin operation at 11. The gates close at 10 p.m. on Thursday, 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Your $15 wristband gets you into all midway rides, shows and entertainment for the entire day, and parking is free. For the full schedule and lots more details, visit https://ulstercountyfair.com.