The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has cut funding to county fairs in 2009 - 2012.

In an effort to keep a vibrant Competitive Exhibits Program, our 2nd music and wine festival fundraiser is being undertaken on Saturday, June 1, 2013.  At the fair, exhibitors compete for prize money, ribbons, or merely enjoy the competition.  The following list are only samples of this competitiveness – livestock, hay & grain, vegetables & herbs, fruits & nuts, baked & canned goods, floral, needlecraft, arts & crafts, grange exhibits, contests, wine, apiary & maple, and more.  This can involve both young (4-H, FFA, youth) and old alike!

 We are soliciting sponsors to defray some of the cost in hosting a music and wine festival. Click [here] to access the 2013 sponsor info/form.  Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

In addition, we are in need of volunteers for the event, plus more the day of the event for the numerous tasks at hand.  Give us a call, drop us an email or by whatever means to let us know of your interest.

Many wonder where the name "Wildcat Ridge" came from for the festival?
Prior to the layout of the town of Gratz, this 325 acres was known as "Wildcat Ridge (Hill)."
In 1811, Simon Gratz, a wealthy Philadelphia native, had made a survey and the general plan was prepared. By 1815, the first recorded lot was sold by Simon Gratz in the newly established Gratztown. Within several years, a number of houses were built by an influx of German settlers. Many of these settlers were skilled craftsmen whose trades were useful to their neighbors and the farmers who had settled in the surrounding Lykens Valley.