159th Van Wert County Fair opens today

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Today officially opens the 159th edition of the Van Wert County Fair, and there will be plenty of activities and events for area residents throughout the coming week.

Today’s program includes an opening ceremony this morning at 8, as well as a flag-raising ceremony at 6:45 this evening.

Baked goods, potted plants and flowers can be entered at the Administration Building, for judging from 2-4 p.m. today, while judging will also take place for canned goods, vegetables and horticulture. The midway opens at 3 p.m. today, while the school exhibit opens at 5 p.m.

A calf scramble will also be held at 7 p.m. today in front of the grandstand.

While there will be several categories of livestock at this year’s fair, poultry and turkeys won’t be among them. Because of the possibility of avian flu, all bird entries have been banned from the fair this year.

Thursday is Kids Day, Veterans Day and Senior Citizens Day at the fair. Veterans and their spouses and senior citizens 60 and older get in free to the fair, while admission for everyone else is $3.

There will be free doughnuts for veterans and seniors in the music pavilion, while the Van Wert County Veterans Service Office will be open in the pavilion from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

A Veterans Day Parade will be held at 10:45 a.m., while a veterans program will get underway at 11 a.m. in the Music Pavilion.

FFA Shop and Crop judging will begin at noon on Thursday in the Agriculture Building, while Kids Dream Day will be held from 2:30-5:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand.

FFA vegetable and crop judging will be held in the Ag Building at 3 p.m., while the Tribute Quartet will perform at 5 p.m. in the Music Pavilion.

At 7 p.m., the Kenny Wayne/Dave Joseph Band will perform at the Music Pavilion, while the Junior Fair Sheep Show will be held at the same time in the Sheep Arena. Junior Fair horse contesting will also take place at 7 in the Junior Fair Horse Arena, while harness racing will be held at the same time in front of the grandstand.