HARRISBURG PA – Three TriCounty area representatives were scheduled to play prominent roles Thursday (Jan. 8, 2026) at 1 p.m. as they launched a preview of Pennsylvania’s State Fair™, its 2026 PA Farm Show.
Together, the local trio is helping to promote one of the state’s biggest events, which starts Saturday (Jan. 10).
Two are artists: Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken (Montgomery County). They have turned 1,000 pounds of dairy butter into a sculpture that celebrates America’s 250th anniversary, as well as Pennsylvania’s agricultural roots.
The third is dairy farmer Carolyn Matthews Eaglehouse, of Milky Way Farm in Chester Springs (Chester County). She was scheduled to be among a group of agriculture industry leaders who unveiled the sculpture.
Admission is Free, and Open to All
The Farm Show officially opened Saturday (Jan. 10) and offers seven days of entertainment, activities, and competitions through Jan. 17. Admission is free and open to the public, with the show located inside the PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St.
The event also kicks off America250PA, recognizing the semiquincentennial observance of the founding of the United States. It additionally acknowledges the state’s pivotal place in history as one of the original 13 colonies.
Getting there from the greater Pottstown area is easy, in a 78-mile drive primarily on Interstate 76. Plenty of parking is available, at a cost of $15 per vehicle. Free shuttle buses take visitors to and from the complex.
Following Years of Tradition
Victor and Pelton are following years of Farm Show tradition in transforming the butter, donated by the Land O’Lakes dairy plant in Carlisle PA, into a work of art.
To reflect its theme, “Growing A Nation,” the pair created “a farm setting with a city skyline, dairy elements, and a methane digester,” show officials say. The digester symbolizes “agriculture’s role in connecting communities and powering the future,” it adds.
The Farm Show is jointly presented by state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, the PA Department of Agriculture, and the American Dairy Association North East.
The week – filled with educational exhibits, livestock contests, and tasty foods and beverages – highlights “the Commonwealth’s farming heritage,” according to the department. Pennsylvania “helped feed the early nation, and continues to drive economic growth, innovation, and community through its agriculture and food industries,” its officials add.
Russell on Thursday personally conducted a tour of must-see exhibits, events, and food to be featured during the show.
The tour includes a sample of Pennsylvania specialties from the state’s Culinary Connection stage. It concludes with tastes of menu items in the Farm Show Food Court. That’s where the public can buy an assortment of farm-crafted edibles as a snack, a meal, or to take home.
On the Farm Show Schedule
The Farm Show is a sprawling presentation that covers more than 1 million square feet across several comfortably connected buildings. To help visitors get around, the state provides these online tools:
- A day-by-day timed schedule of what’s happening at the show, and where;
- Maps of the facility, and where exhibitors can be located; and
- A digital, downloadable visitors’ guide that may be helpful, but huge. Beware: it’s 100 pages long.
Earlier Farm Show photos by Travels With The Post
Our entertainment reporting covers the arts and culture, shows, exhibits, performances, festivals, and community-related activities within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more entertainment articles here. Also, see and join the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance group on Facebook.
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