Oct 3, 201208:42 AMCup of Joe
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Fun with goats in Falmouth
If you ask parents to name one local attraction all kids should have the chance to experience, many might say Hersheypark or Dutch Wonderland. But I would argue another one should top the list: the annual Falmouth Goat Races.
On Saturday, my wife, the little lizard (aka my younger sister Liz), my mom and my in-laws headed to Falmouth to watch as children and adults strove to get their goats across the finish line first.
Upon arriving in Falmouth, we noticed many families parking in town and decided to follow the group. There appeared to be a shuttle service, but I noticed a few people forgoing the shuttle and walking in the direction of the races. I asked a woman how far the walk was and said only about a quarter mile.
Slightly exhausted after walking well over a mile, uphill along a dangerous road, we arrived at the race. Clearly, I should have checked the GPS first. The races started around 11 a.m. and lasted into the early afternoon. Each race is done in different heats broken down by age groups. 
Generally five or six racers participate in each heat. Racers keep their goats on a leash, and once the signal is given, they set off dragging pulling and pushing their goat to get them across the finish line. Some of the goats are larger than the kids pulling them.
Many of the racers have their own cheering section and one team particularly stood out at this year’s event. Team Peggy, decked out in pink T-shirts sporting the team name, had a goat with a slight disadvantage—it only had three legs. Team Peggy didn’t make out quite so well at this year’s event, coming in last in their heat, but did manage to excite the crowd.
While many goats attend the event to race, many more are there purely for show. My sister was enamored with some of the more colorful goats that sported pink and purple spots.
Following the races, we made our way down to the stands to check out the day’s other activities. There were a number of craft and food stands, including a church selling homemade ice cream. Another stand provided goat rentals for the day, including a half day rental for $5 and a full day rental for $10.
Several other kids’ activities were available, including a petting zoo, playground and bounce houses.
If you’re looking for a fun and free experience for the family, check out next year’s event. More information can be found at: http://www.falmouthgoatrace.org/.
What interesting events do you go to in Central PA?
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