COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa - A century-old tradition in Louisa County almost washed away twice in flood water. But this summer, the recovery is nothing short of remarkable at the fair.
On Friday, an antique tractor leads the way to celebration. These are the sights and sounds of fair season in Louisa County, which continues through Saturday in Columbus Junction. Admission is free.
Inside one of the show pens, 4-H participant Bay Boysen presents a prize animal. Tending to her pig, the Wapello High student, 15, represents what the fair is all about. And she shows what it takes to get there.
"It's obviously very important," she said. "If it wasn't, people wouldn't come out and support us and help clean it up."
And did they ever clean up. Just weeks ago in June, it didn't look promising at all. Flood water filled the fairgrounds. It was a double whammy after record flooding brought high water headaches to the fair in 2008. After nearly washing out twice, volunteers worked hard to save it each time.
"We didn't want to lose it," said Fair Secretary Susan Pretz. "We wanted to keep everybody in Columbus Junction to come here to see our hard work."
"It's so much work and effort," said Stacie Bieri, Letts. "Especially fund raising for all the different expenses. There's just so much to do."
After struggling through rounds of flooding, the future looks brighter at the Louisa County Fair. It's a community tradition that keeps the crowd coming back for more."
Attendance is up. Campers are back. Inside the exhibition hall, they're sampling tasty baked goods. It's just like the old days.
"We sure want to keep these kids active," said Wade Edwards, a fair board member. "It's all about hard work and dedication to 4-H."
That dedication provides plenty of lessons. It's something for the generations. Bay Boysen wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's a lot of work," she concluded. "But it's worth it."
Worth it to save the Louisa County Fair.
A successful Greene County 4-H Fair concluded in late July, but organizers are putting together a fair-like three-day event later this month that will feature a demolition derby, truck pull, tractor pull, and a full-scale carnival.
The events -- sponsored by the 4-H Clubs of Greene County -- will be staged Aug. 20-22 at the Greene County Fairgrounds, located one mile east of Switz City along State Road 54.
Fiesta Rides, of Vincennes, will provide amusement rides, a carnival midway as well as food and beverages all three nights, according to Tim Egnew, president of Greene County 4-H Clubs, Inc.
"We were wanting to make this a three-day weekend," Egnew said.
Egnew said the proceeds from all three events will go back into the county 4-H program.
"It all goes back to the kids one way or another," Egnew stressed. "We are a little worried because it's the same weekend as the State Fair. I don't know how much that may or may not affect us. If we can keep the money in Greene County that will help us. It will be just like a three-day fair in August."
The Greene County 4-H program has about 1,000 regular and enrichment program members.
An always-popular Demolition Derby will kick things off at 7 p.m. on Aug. 20. Admission will be $10 per person.
On Aug. 21, the Indiana Pro Diesel Truck Pull Shootout will start at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 5 p.m. for this $4,000 purse event that will feature Work Stock (to 8,000 pounds), Street Diesel (2.6 turbo), Super Street (2.8 turbo) and modified classes.
There will be a $20 hook fee for the Work Stock class and a $40 hook fee for the other classes.
On Aug. 22, the 4th Annual Cat Pull will be staged starting at 7 p.m.
The event, co-sponsored by MacCallister Machinery Caterpillar in Washington, will feature Indiana Truck Pull Association (ITPA) sanctioned trucks, semis, 12,500NA tractors, 13,000 turbo tractors and hot farm tractors.
Kerry Graves, who is helping to coordinate the tractor pull, said weather permitting the event should draw a good crowd.
"We feel like we can get a big crowd," Graves said. "If we have this kind of weather will be probably be sold out."
Admission for both pulling events will be $10 for adults, $5 for children 7-12 and under 6 free. All active military will be admitted free with an ID card.
For rules and more information about the truck pull got to www.dieselsport.us.
Graves, of rural Switz City, can be contracted for rules and information about the tractor pull at 384-6119.
The 2009 Tri-County Fair gets under way next week at the Petersburg Fairgrounds with displays of the finest in homegrown and homemade goods and a bushel of family fun and festivities.
The five-day fair starts Tuesday.
This is the 89th annual exhibit of Grant, Hardy and Pendleton counties' best in livestock, agriculture and horticulture.
And, as always, the summertime tradition is combined with neighborly good times and great entertainment for kids and adults alike.
Mutton Bustin' Anyone?
Fairgoers will have the chance to cheer on their favorite beauty queen, applaud stately horses high-stepping around the show ring, enjoy good food and refreshments and listen to some of the best in live country and gospel music.
Spectators also can get in on the act and try their hand at judging livestock.
Various activities include pig scrambles, a lamb costume contest, a pet show, a pedal-power contest, children's games, a parade, a lamb obstacle course and mutton bustin,' the more exuberant term for sheep riding.
During a "Good Ole Country Evening," on Friday, kids compete with senior citizens for prizes in games such as bubble gum blowing, sack racing and water-balloon tossing.
The 55th annual Fayette County Fair kicked off on Thursday with the fair queen contest, the Fireman's Day parade, and all of the sights and sounds that make the yearly event rife with family fun.
"Everyone is ready to ride," said Maureen James of Dunbar.
James brought along her three children, Trina, 14; Jon, 11 and Gina, 7.
All three said they were eager to play games and ride rides - but Jon James said he was most excited to go to the evening's Croushore's Championship Demolition Derby.
Cries of joy and carnival music are being heard all around at the Broome County Fair in Whitney Point today.
It was the annual Special Kids Day at the fair for mentally and physically challenged people.
Made possible through donations, the day allowed for the children and adults to come to the fair free and enjoy free rides and food all day.
Chuck Franklin is the Vice President of the Broome County Fair.
He says he goes that extra mile to make sure the people are taken care of.
Chuck Franklin says, "When we first started it we never realized what a response we'd get to it, people from Broome County and surrounding counties donate to the program, we bring all the summer programs for special kids get invited to the fair. I think this year I've sent out over three thousand tickets and that includes staff members that have to come with the special kids day. They come and all the special kids get the rides, they get into the fair they get the rides they get food they get drinks they get a stuffed animal when they leave, and its all free to them and they look forward to it every year and it just gets bigger and bigger all the time."
Sarah Robinson and Brittany Bancroft say, "Good, it was fun! (What made it so fun?) I was in the air, it made us cool off!"
As the Stanislaus County Fair gets ready to open at 5 o'clock this evening, the great questions posed by the fair- going public remain:
"Who's playing at the fair this year? Are you going to have new rides? And will you have the mini-doughnuts again?"
Spokeswoman Pennie Rorex had the answers for reporters Thursday at the fair's annual media preview. As carnival workers pieced together rides on the midway, Rorex and the publicity staff talked up the entertainers ranging from Grand Funk Railroad to Dora the Explorer who will perform on fair stages the next 10 days and nights.