WALTON — From livestock barns and antique tractors to carnival rides, live music and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the 139th Delaware County Fair brought together the traditions of a country fair with a full slate of entertainment.
Families moved between the barns, midway and exhibits spread across the Walton fairgrounds. The smell of funnel cakes and other fried favorites drifted from food stands while rides spun overhead and vendors offered everything from crafts to free juice samples.
Agriculture remained at the heart of the fair. Antique tractors and farm equipment offered a look back at generations of farming, while the barns were filled with horses, cattle and other livestock.
For some young exhibitors, the fair represents years of work.
Hannah Tuttle, 17, of Windham, has been involved with 4-H since she was 9 and has been showing cows since she was 5. She brought her Jersey cows to the fair with help from her mother, Eve Tuttle, who could be found pitching hay in the barn.
Hannah recently graduated high school and plans to attend Mansfield University to study business management.
Elsewhere on the grounds, sand sculptor Phil Singer worked on a fitting subject for the nation’s 250th anniversary, a depiction of Washington crossing the Delaware.
The America 250 theme continued into one of Tuesday’s largest events. Rows of bicycles filled the area in front of the grandstand as children waited to see whether their ticket would be called during the fair’s annual bike giveaway.
This year, 250 bicycles were given away. Winning children were also asked to sign thank-you cards that would be mailed to the sponsors who made the giveaway possible. Fair President Jason Craig later told the evening crowd that another $1,000 in cash prizes, provided by Dreamland Amusements, had also been awarded.
Entertainment continued throughout the afternoon. Gregg “Buffalo” Barfield and Michele “Miss Bumadean” Barfield brought country music to the fairgrounds, while illusionist David Garrity drew a crowd with his magic.
As evening approached, attention shifted toward the grandstand for the Heroes Parade.
Grand Marshal Steve Williamson of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office led a procession that included veterans, firefighters, emergency responders, community organizations, horses and an assortment of fire apparatus ranging from modern emergency vehicles to carefully preserved antique trucks.
Little Miss Rodeo New York 2026 Alexa Banks joined the procession on horseback, carrying the American flag through the grandstand.
Fire departments from across the region followed, bringing generations of firefighting equipment with them. Marchers in dress uniforms walked alongside modern engines, tankers and rescue trucks, while antique apparatus offered a reminder of how long many of the participating departments have served their communities.
The parade also included Shriners maneuvering their miniature vehicles around the track, Girl Scouts and other community groups, turning the grandstand into a rolling display of the organizations and volunteers that serve the region.
As darkness settled over the fairgrounds, the day’s biggest entertainment was still to come.
Craig took the stage before a packed grandstand to welcome the crowd before Chubby Checker and the Wildcats closed out Tuesday night.
Checker, whose music helped turn “The Twist” into an American phenomenon, didn’t remain on the stage for long. He made his way into the crowd during the performance, singing among fairgoers as people gathered around him.
Beyond the grandstand, the midway continued glowing after dark, with rides illuminating the fairgrounds as another day at the Delaware County Fair came to an end.
By the time the fair wrapped up Saturday, visitors had spent the week moving between livestock shows, midway rides, food stands, demonstrations, grandstand events and live entertainment. For the 139th year, the Delaware County Fair once again brought together agriculture, community traditions and summer entertainment at the Walton fairgrounds.