VW Fair ready for busy holiday weekend

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The 163rd Van Wert County Fair heads into the weekend, with more good weather forecast for this year’s edition of the fair.

On Friday, fairgoers were treated to a number of events, including a MICHINDOH-sanctioned truck and tractor pull in front of the grandstand Friday evening.

A number of livestock shows, both Senior Fair and Junior Fair, are scheduled over the weekend at various fairgrounds venues.

Starting at 8:30 Saturday morning, the Goat Show will be held in the Goat Barn, as well as the Junior Fair Dairy Feeder Show in the Farm Focus Arena. Senior and Junior Ponies and Draft Horses will be judged in the Senior Horse Arena, starting at 9 a.m., while the Junior Fair Goat Show will also start then in the Goat Arena, as will the Senior Rabbit Show in the Rabbit Barn.

The Boer Goat Show will begin at noon in the Goat Arena, while the Junior Fair Beef Show also gets underway at the same time in the Farm Focus Arena.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, the Open to the World Feeder Calf Show will begin in the Farm Focus Arena, with Horse Contesting at 5 p.m. in the Junior Horse Arena. The Animal Dress-Up Contest will be held at 7 p.m. in the Farm Focus Arena, along with the Showman of Showmen competition at the same venue.

Also on Saturday, a double-elimination horseshoe tournament will be held at 9 a.m. on the horseshoe court, while Kids Dream Day activities will run from noon-7 p.m. in front of the grandstand.

Grandstand entertainment on Saturday will be Motocross racing at 1 p.m. and a Tug-A-Truck competition at 8 Saturday evening.

Sunday livestock shows include the Van Wert County Open Horse Show in the Junior Horse Arena, starting at 9 a.m., as well as the Junior Fair Rabbit Showmanship competition at the same time in the Rabbit Barn. The Rabbit Show will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Rabbit Barn, while the Senior Beef Show will be held at 1 p.m. in the Farm Focus Arena. The Van Wert County Open Market Lamb Show will begin at 3 p.m. in the Sheep Barn, while the Ryan Trentman Memorial Show will be held at 4:45 p.m. Sunday in the Farm Focus Arena. The Open World Market Lamb Show will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Sheep Arena.

Also Sunday, Kids Dream Day activities will be held from noon-7 p.m. in front of the grandstand, while a doubles horseshoe tournament will begin at 1 p.m. at the horseshoe court. The Junior Fair Milk Mustache Contest will be held at 5 p.m. in the Dairy Barn.

Sunday’s grandstand entertainment will be the ever-popular Demolition Derby, beginning at 6 p.m.

Labor Day’s activities include several livestock shows, including the Open Sheep Show at 8 a.m. in the Sheep Arena, the Junior Fair Swine Show at 8:30 a.m. in the Farm Focus Arena, and the Senior Fair Dairy Show at 2 p.m. in the Farm Focus Arena.

The finals of the Junior Fair Showman of Showmen competition will be held at 5 p.m. in the Farm Focus Arena.

Grandstand entertainment on Monday will be thoroughbred horse racing at noon and Drag Racing at 7 p.m. Monday.

In addition to the livestock shows and grandstand events, there will be plenty of free entertainment in the Entertainment Tent, along with games, a petting zoo, a Kiddie Tractor Pull at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Administration Building area, a 4-H/FFA still project silent auction at 3 p.m. Monday in the Junior Fair Building, as well as a wood carver auction at 5 p.m. in the Junior Fair Building area. 

Of course, there will be plenty of good fair food to eat, as well as rides and other traditional fair entertainment (go to https://fairentry.com/Fair/Results/2907 for Junior Fair show results.