Although the steamed clams are the traditional draw, this year’s 56th annual Glenmont Fireman’s Fair will include carnival rides for attendees of all ages.
“We have been asked about adding rides for a while and we did some research to see if it was feasible,” said Shaun Wagner, co-chairman of the event and a fireman with the department for 16 years. “We decided the rides would be a good idea to give the public more to do.”
The annual fair is a community event held behind the Selkirk Fire Department’s Glenmont station. Wagner said he believes the fair has continued for more than half a century because it has become a tradition people look forward to.
“A lot of people in the community really enjoy it and ask us to continue to do it,” he said, adding that it is more intimate than events like the Altamont Fair and the proceeds stay local.
All of the money is used to fund items the department buys that are not funded through taxpayer dollars, like meals for the firemen, new shirts or fire prevention programs. Ed Ward, the event’s other co-chairman, said a good portion of the money also goes to local charities that are associated with the department, like the Albany County Fire Fighter’s Burn Fund.
The event will host about 15 games for children with prizes, a variety of rides and a large selection of food all prepared by friends and family of those in the fire department.
“We still like to think of ourselves as a small-town community event, but we are growing each year,” said Ward.
Wagner and Ward both said the fair is a place to meet with friends and catch up on chitchat from the past year.
“I know people who plan their vacations around this time to come back to the area for the fair,” said Wagner, who estimates a few thousand people visit the event throughout its three-day run.
Ward said the Fireman’s Fair is at an advantage because it is basically the only local fair in the area and the food is home made.
“I know my wife look forward to the clam chowder,” he said. “It’s unique for a fair.”
The 56th Annual Glenmont Fireman’s Fair will be held Thursday, July 19, through Saturday, July 21, from 6 to 11 p.m. on the grounds of the Selkirk Fire Co. 2 Firehouse in Glenmont, near Town Squire Plaza.