POCOMOKE – A truck and tractor pull kicks off a trio of special events set to take place at the Pocomoke fairgrounds this summer.
On Saturday, June 23, the East Coast Pullers Truck and Tractor Pull will be held at the Pocomoke fairgrounds. Doors open at 4 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. event.
“This is a Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League sanctioned event,” said Gloria Smith, treasurer of the Great Pocomoke Fair.
More than 40 pieces of equipment, coming from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and even New York will compete in the event. Smith said this is the 15th truck and tractor pull that’s been held at the fairgrounds. Organizers expect close to 1,200 people to attend.
“It’s a motorsports event,” she said. “There are a certain number of people interested in these types of events.”
In Saturday’s competition, trucks and tractors will be tasked with pulling a weighted sled. Vehicles, which are divided into different classes, are expected to pull the weight 300 feet. Smith says diesel pickup trucks are a crowd favorite.
“That’s popular with some of the younger folks,” Smith said.
Admission for the truck and tractor pull is $15 for adults and $8 for youth (ages 7-12). Kids age 6 and younger are free.
In addition to the truck pull, fairgrounds supporters are gearing up for the annual Great Pocomoke Fair Aug. 2-4. The event, which runs Thursday through Saturday, features carnival rides, ATV races, an antique tractor pull and live harness racing, as well as livestock and food and craft displays. For the third year in a row, the fair will include a hobby horse race.
“It’s become popular with some of the local politicians,” Smith said. “They have a fun time.”
Carnival rides return to the fair this year after being absent for the past few years. Another added event this year will be a performance by the band Left Hand Luck Aug. 4.
The highlight of the three-day fair, however, remains harness racing. That’s set for Aug. 4.
“It’s a tradition in Pocomoke,” Smith said. “There’s only one other fair in the state of Maryland that has harness racing.”
To round out the summer, the fairgrounds will host a demolition derby on Sept. 15. For more information and a full calendar of events, visit www.thegreatpocomokefair.org.