159th edition of the VW County Fair over

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The 159th Van Wert County Fair is now officially closed, although there’s still one very important event remaining before the wraps can be put on the 2015 edition of the fair.

Today is the Junior Fair Livestock Auction, the event that gives young livestock exhibitors a paycheck for all the hard work they put in feeding, mucking out and grooming their animals throughout the year.

During the auction, which starts at 9 this morning and runs into the afternoon, a number of area businesses and organizations will be on hand to bid on animals shown at the fair, including steers, dairy feeder calves, swine, rabbits, sheep and goats. There will likely be no poultry, though, because of the ban on showing birds this year because of an Avian Flu advisory.

More than 100 animals will be sold as part of the auction, which is a culmination of the year for Junior Fair exhibitors.

There’s always heightened excitement when grand champion and reserve champion animals come up for auction, although each and every Junior Fair livestock exhibitor earns at least one spot in front of the auctioneer. Even dairy exhibitors, who don’t sell their dairy cows, get a paycheck from the auctioning off of a symbolic gallon of milk — traditionally the first item sold each year to begin the sale.

The weekend included a number of special events, including the ever-popular Demolition Derby and cheerleader competition, along with several livestock shows and the Showman of Showmen competition, which determines which Junior Fair livestock exhibitors are challenged to prove who is the best at showing animals — not only the species they brought to the fair, but all the other species as well. Each competitor gets a chance to show.

This year’s Showman of Showmen is 2014 Junior Fair queen Sophie Wilson, while Jordan Miller was the runner-up.

It was also the end of an era this year, as the Myers Ice Cream Stand sold its last cherry ice cream cone after a fair run that goes back to 1948. The death of the stand’s owner this past year led to the closing of what had become a county fair institution.

This year’s fair was mostly blessed with sunny weather, although it was brutally hot and humid at times.

Meanwhile, following an all too few days of rest, organizers will begin the process all over again, planning for the 160th Van Wert County Fair to be held next year.