Louisa County Fair beats flood for fun - WQAD.
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.
