Families find old-fashioned fun at LI Fair

They sauntered through vintage farm buildings and gawked at animals of all sizes, a 20-pound Flemish giant rabbit named Wendy included.

For many families, yesterday's 169th edition of the Long Island Fair was a welcome "hands-on" respite.

Fred Von Burg, 43, of Levittown, said the four-day fair, which ends Sunday, was a chance to get away from the grind.

"It's good to get back to nature and connect with animals. It's a break from the stress of the daily routine," the loan underwriter said.

He and his wife, Paula, took their time pointing out different breeds of chickens and rabbits to their 19-month-old daughter, Ilana. It was their first visit to the fair, held at the 209-acre Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

The throwback list of activities ran the gamut from a log-sawing contest to the "Frogs, Bugs and Animals Show."

Winners of the fair's agricultural competitions were proudly displayed in a large building at the center of the fairgrounds. Thousands of entries, from quilts to cookies, competed for red, white or blue ribbons.

Volunteers in historic costumes walked through the crowd while others staged vintage baseball games and Civil War drills.

Mark Andler, 61, of Oceanside, a member of Grand Army of the Republic Civil War re-enactment group, was dressed as a Union soldier.

"It's a really nice experience," the retired electrician said of the fair. "You get a taste of what it was like living on Long Island in the 1860s."

Diane Healy of Seaford, a retired retail worker, brought her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. They enjoyed the "Farmer for a Day" area, where people moved eggs, potatoes and apples around in baskets.

Healy, a fairgoer for more than 20 years, called it a chance to get kids out of the house and away from computers and cellphones.

"This is hands-on fun without looking into a screen," she said.

Suzanne Mendes, 42, looks forward to the fair all year, calling it "a family tradition."

This year, the teacher from Dix Hills also rekindled a fond childhood memory. Thirty years ago, during her first fair visit, she won the cornhusking competition.

She did it again Saturday.

"I practice every summer," she said, her 7-year-old daughter, Heather, smiling alongside her.