Family Area continues to entertain crowds at Fayette County Fair
Josh and Lea Knotts, of Washington County, perform Extreme Illusions & Escapes in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Josh and Lea Knotts, of Washington County, perform Extreme Illusions & Escapes in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Josh and Lea Knotts, of Washington County, pictured with some youthful volunteers from the audience, perform Extreme Illusions & Escapes in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Josh and Lea Knotts, of Washington County, perform Extreme Illusions & Escapes in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. Lea's hand can be seen from box in which she is locked just moments before making her escape.
Danny Grant of San Antonio assists Isabel Angelo, 13, of Franklin Township, as she tries a balancing trick with the Cowboy Circus, part of the Family Area shows at the 65th annual Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Carter Allen,11, of Franklin Township, (left) and Sydni Speeney, 10, of Vanderbilt, assist Danny Grant of San Antonio with a rope trick during the Cowboy Circus, part of the Family Area shows at the 65th annual Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Pigs Gone Wild Racing Pigs, with Jill Matiyasic, of Menallen Township, as master of ceremonies, uses the theme Fast Food for their 2019 show in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. Pigs include KFC's Private Porker, McDonald's McRib, Wendy's Baconator and Chick-Fil-A's Hamburger.
Pigs Gone Wild Racing Pigs, with Jill Matiyasic, of Menallen Township, as master of ceremonies, uses the theme Fast Food for their 2019 show in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township. Pigs include KFC's Private Porker, McDonald's McRib, Wendy's Baconator and Chick-Fil-A's Hamburger.
Kristen Watson, 9, and her grandmother Jodie Anthony, both of Uniontown, pet camels in the Barnyard Petting Zoo, part of the Family Area at the Fayette County Fair, running through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Josh and Lea Knotts of Washington County make their Extreme Illusions & Escapes a mesmerizing show in the Family Area of the Fayette County Fair, running now through Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Dunbar Township.
Josh spends most of the show taking boxes filled with Lea and making magic. He locks them, sections them into smaller sections and even fills one with blades while Lea signals she鈥檚 still there with a smile or a hand wave until she makes her miraculous escape to applause-filled audiences.
鈥淚t was my passion since I was a little boy,鈥� said Josh of magic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the only thing I wanted to do with my life.鈥�
The Chartiers Township couple met at West Virginia University where they were theater majors. They had grown up during the 1990s when magician David Copperfield had television specials that enthralled the public.
The Knotts perform 350 to 500 shows a year, traveling around the country.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the only outdoor entertainer to receive the Merlin award,鈥� said Josh, of the prestigious honor awarded by the International Magicians Society that has been given to magicians such as David Copperfield, Criss Angel and Penn and Teller.
Outdoor entertainment means the couple can often be found at fairs where they love to perform.
鈥淯sually we do it year after year, and we see kids grow up,鈥� said Lea. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always nice. I feel you have a family on the road.鈥�
鈥淵ou get to insert yourself into a community for a week at a time,鈥� said Josh. 鈥淧eople are so welcoming. They love their fairs. It鈥檚 a special tradition and they welcome you into their tradition.鈥�
Also enjoying himself at this year鈥檚 Fayette County Fair is Danny Grant of San Antonio, Texas, who can be seen roaming the grounds with his mobile Cowboy Circus.
Grant鈥檚 audience participation shows including teaching fairgoers how to lasso and do rope tricks.
鈥淢y whole thing,鈥� said Grant,鈥� is bringing cowboy culture to places where there鈥檚 not so much.鈥�
One of the most popular shows in the Family Area is Pigs Gone Wild Racing Pigs, operated by Jill Matiyasic, of Menallen Township, who serves master of ceremonies, continuing a decades-long tradition started by Nancy Herring, of Chalk Hill.
These particular racing pigs are exclusive to the Fayette County Fair and, each year, people are excited to see the theme chosen for the racing pigs.
鈥淚 wrote them down the other day. We鈥檝e had 鈥楽tar Wars,鈥� 鈥楴inja Turtles,鈥� 鈥淲izard of Oz,鈥� Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers, princesses, Christmas in July, Superheroes, 鈥楧uck Dynasty,鈥� 鈥楯urrasic Pork,鈥� Matiyasic reeled off a list.
This year鈥檚 theme is Fast Food with each racing pig bearing a name that is associated with a different restaurant. The KFC pig had Colonel Sanders name his pig Private Porker. Wendy鈥檚 pig is Baconator. McDonald鈥檚 has McRib and Chick-fil-A鈥檚 pig is Hamburger.
The pigs are cute but Matiyasic said a key factor is that two fairgoers receive free T-shirts at every race. Four fairgoers are given pennants to root for a particular pig with the prize going to those whose pigs coming in first and second.
鈥淭hey like the free T-shirts,鈥� said Matiyasic. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 their goal.鈥�
Other acts in the Family Area include the Axe Women Loggers of Maine, Bears of Beardise Ranch, The Barn Yard Petting Zoo and R&S Woodcarving. The Family Area also contains the completed entries of the annual decorated hay bales contest.