Not long after the Schuylkill County Fair opened Tuesday, a severe thunderstorm rolled in, and with it came soaking rain, lightning and thunder.

Despite the fierce weather. the fair went on as usual.

Attendees filled bleachers for a livestock show as rain pounded the roof. Others checked out inside exhibits as puddles swirled outside, and some gathered in a dining pavilion as winds rattled paper napkins.

For Alyssa Cook, the heavy storm gave her time to groom one of her turkeys.

Cook, a member of the Tri-Valley 4-H Club, set an air compressor to a low speed to fluff the gobbler’s feathers for the Market Turkey Show.

“His name is Boone,” noted Cook, who raised the bird from a day-old chick to its current 32 pounds.

It wasn’t the first turkey for Cook, who has raised others. Earlier this year, she took home a grand champion showmanship prize for another turkey at the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Before the rain arrived, Abbey Rex, a Tamaqua Area High School senior and member of the West Penn 4-H Club, readied a goat and a market steer for competition.

“I’ve been coming here since I was a baby,” Rex explained.

Her family operates Rex Family Farms in Andreas, and her father, Neil, began attending the fair when he was a boy. So it was natural for his children to tag along with him, she said.

The fair was established in 1983 and each year it features food, entertainment, educational programs, agricultural exhibits, music, tractor pulls and more.

With a theme of “Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom, Family and PA Farms,” the 2026 fair kicked off Monday with a host of events, including the fair’s Royalty Contest.

Abri Kutz of Pine Grove, was crowned queen; Sadie Tokairck, Schuylkill Haven, earned the title of princess, and Taylor McDonald, Pottsville, was the fair’s “Little Miss.”

While it was the fair’s most talked about competition, another one is gaining traction.

“People can vote for ‘America’s Favorite Horse,’ ” explained Kimberly Smith.

Folks are invited to stop by the horse barn, meet the 27 horses, and cast a ballot for their favorite.

Most of the horses are cared for by members of the Rough Riders 4-H Horse Club, a group of youths who meet monthly at various locations in Schuylkill County to learn how to raise, ride and show horses.

Smith’s son, Andrew, 10, joined the club about four years ago and introduced fair goers to his horse, Penny.

“She’s an American quarter horse,” who stands about 14.3 hands tall, he noted.

Penny — like most horses — eats a bale of hay every two days, and Andrew feeds and waters her at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the days she’s at the fair.

While the “America’s Favorite Horse” contest runs through Friday, winners of other contests have been selected by judges.

Visitors can view the entries — woodworking, crochet, wines, knitting, quilts, and even slices of pie — inside the exhibit hall.

A separate display of plants, including flowers, greens and cacti — is inside the horticulture building.

Amusement rides were temporarily unavailable during the storm, but elsewhere outside, food trucks dished out everything from steak sandwiches to milk shakes. Vendors sold jewelry, trinkets and more.

The fair continues through Saturday from the fairgrounds in Summit Station.