Carbon County Fair is in full swing, fair President Bob Silliman said attendance records have been set throughout the week.

And vendors, selling everything from smoked dog bones to CBD oil, said the sales were never better.

Pet Treat Haven Empire of Brodheadsville decided to try the Carbon County Fair for the first time, and owners Pat Miller and her daughter, Lizzie May Wingle, said the sales have been great.

“All the bones we sell are beef bones that are cut and smoked, not boiled,” Miller said.

“The longer stuffed bones are the best seller. Today we came with 200 stuffed long bones and my husband, who would normally be here with me selling, had to go back home to get more because we only have two left,” she said Wednesday.

They sell bones for both small and large dogs. Miller said all the bones they buy to smoke come cleaned and fresh from a meat processor. She plans to return next year.

First time jewelry vendor

Malissa Kuzma just moved to Lehighton this past week and came to the fair for the first time as a Paparazzi consultant.

“Surprisingly with how hard it rained Tuesday night, I was really busy with jewelry customers. I am not sure if they just wanted to stay under the tents to keep dry, but I did very well in sales,” she said.

“During the pandemic was a very hard time for sales people and I am hoping that my sales will continue to be as good as they have been for the past couple of days,” she said.

One fairgoer, Brenda Schafer of Walnutport, was very happy to see a Paparazzi jewelry stand.

She has over 500 pieces of this style of jewelry and she said, “I am always looking for more.

“I have been back here several times so far,” Schafer said.

Soldiers Solution

Dave Walls from Connecticut spends his summers traveling from state fair to state fair across the country to sell the T-shirts designed and made by veterans.

He is part of the nonprofit Soldier Solutions LLC. It was originally created to provide more job opportunities for those who have served our country.

“The money we make from selling the T-shirts goes to a nonprofit to train “buddy dogs” for veterans,” Wells explained.

We donate the money we make to the Train a Dog Save a Warrior program that serves the veteran, the family and the community, by providing the warrior with a K-9 rescue “Battle Buddy,” as well as the training and tools needed to become an accredited warrior/service dog team, he said.

Veterans often suffering alone, seem to silence themselves because of the stigma still attached to psychological injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder, according to research done by psychologists.

“The dog can calm them down and get their minds off everything going on in their lives by focusing on the dog, not themselves and the extensive and costly training is at no charge to the warrior and his dog, with training lasting 3-4 months at the least,” Wells said.