By Bethany BROWN

A pie-eating contest, pet parade and all types of food wait for guests of the Hometown Country Fair.

The 15^th annual Hometown Country Fair is officially back after being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendance to the one-day event is free and is being held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CV Park, 3901 Dunsmore Ave. in La Crescenta.

The fair, hosted by the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, serves as an opportunity for the community to come together once again.

“It is a very family-friendly and safe event,” chamber Executive Director Steve Pierce said. “It will be nice for people to have a chance to get some fresh air and have fun.”

Since parking issues were problematic in previous years, Pierce said that during the hiatus the chamber has worked to find a solution that will make parking easier and more accessible for attendees. This includes vendor trucks parking in the back of the park, volunteer workers parking along Dunsmore Avenue and the main parking lot being reserved for guests only.

As for whether masks are required, the answer is not necessarily but they are suggested.

“We’re asking people to use their own judgment … wear masks and social distance as you feel appropriate,” Pierce said.

Hand sanitizer will be readily available to attendees throughout the event at vendor tents and around high-contact activities, such as at rides and the petting zoo.

Other activities to choose from include, among others, a pet parade, pie-eating contest, live entertainment, safety personnel (law enforcement, search and rescue, etc.), food trucks, a presentation by Sup. Kathryn Barger, karaoke, petting zoo, YMCA Peddle Spin-A-Thon fundraiser, CV Jazz Band, inflatables for the kids that include a bungee jump, giant slide ride and kids’ spin ride.

“I think I’m most excited about the petting zoo because it’ll make my little guy so happy,” CV resident Linda Gilson said. Gilson has lived in the area for 30 years and has never missed a fair. After her son was born six years ago, she and her husband started bringing him along.

“We were really sad about it not happening last year,” Gilson said. “He loves goats and he finally gets to see one in person for the first time ever, which is really exciting stuff after being cooped up for so long.”

Gilson said she’s looking forward to a refreshing sense of normalcy, too.

There will be several food options with on-site vendors offering a variety of food including Thai, Mexican and barbecue cuisines. For those in need of a sweet treat, there will also be two dessert vendors from which to choose.

While enjoying the fresh food and soaking up the sunshine, guests can be entertained by watching the dog parade, scheduled for noon, or listening to live music beginning as early as 9 a.m. and closing with a performance by Mike Perry’s band “Title Wave.”