Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair gets started tonight and runs through September 4. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

For many, it’s the last shot at summer fun — a chance to scarf down cotton candy and hop into a bucket on the Ferris wheel.

For most, though, Andy Schrank says it’s more like a family reunion.

“Time flies,” said Schrank, a 30-year veteran of Fair Haven’s fire department. “A whole year goes by and now, all of a sudden, all these people are coming out of the woodwork.”

They come each year for the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair, and whatever reason brings them out of the woodwork, the area’s spirited summer closeout gets into action tonight.

You can expect much of the same at the fair, held at the River Road firehouse: a slew of rides, more than a dozen games, lots of carnival-type food and a whole lot of firefighters. Schrank said there are about 250 volunteers from the department, plus borough helpers, who organize and run the fair, which is boasted as one of the largest, if not the largest, in the state.

There are a couple changes this year, though.

Schrank said there are some new rides and games, most notable being a human sling shot-type ride and a dizzying rollercoaster called The Himalayan, Schrank said.

Here’s the schedule for the week-long celebration:

Friday and Saturday: 6 to 11p.

Closed Sunday

Monday through Thursday: 6 to 10p.

Last day is Saturday, September 4.

And here’s the weather forecast:

Sunny all week.