Henry County Fair puts temporary procedures in place so schedule will run smoothly
NAPOLEON — Henry County 4-Hers will be dancing to a different beat with livestock projects at the 171st county fair this year.
Due to preparations made at the fairgrounds in anticipation of the community events center construction, several barns as well as the old show arena were removed which has left event organizers busy providing new accommodations for the livestock and procedures for the shows and judging for this year’s fair, which runs from Aug. 8-15.
In “the show must go on” style, the event has been organized and a plan is in place, according to OSU Extension Educator Morgan Parcher, though it’s taken a lot of planning and scheduling to get to that point. She also related that this year’s experience with the fair falls in line with the theme of an Ohio fair conference she attended in January: Change is good.
“It’s going to be a haul-in show for the large animals,” said Parcher, explaining that due to lack of housing space this year the larger animals will be brought in for the day of the show and leave the same day. “If they are market animal livestock the committee has made arrangements for transport of those animals.”
In addition, the winners — grand champions and reserve champions — will remain at the fair until the livestock sale on Aug. 15 and be housed in a designated area set aside for the champions in the horse barn.
However, “it will be business as usual for the rabbits, poultry and horses,” as their usual housing and show areas still stand. Also there will be only junior fair shows and no open shows this year, except for the open draft horse show, which is at the other end of the fairgrounds.
According to Parcher, Thursday (Aug. 8) is the hog show; Friday (Aug. 9) will be the sheep and goats; Saturday (Aug. 10) is dogs; and on Monday (Aug. 12) will be the dairy cattle, as well as the beef cattle showing.
Times of the main shows per the schedule follow:
• Aug. 8, at 8 a.m., junior fair poultry show, SA Arena; 10:30 a.m., junior fair swine show begins in livestock tent.
• Aug. 9, at 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 9 a.m., junior fair rabbit show, SA Arena; 10 a.m. junior fair sheep show, livestock tent; 12 p.m., junior fair goat show, livestock tent.
• Aug. 10, at 9 a.m junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 9 a.m. junior fair dog show, livestock tent.
• Aug. 11, at 1 p.m. junior fair horse show, Horse Arena.
• Aug. 12, at 9 a.m., junior fair dairy show, livestock tent; 1 p.m., beef breeding show begins, livestock tent; 3 p.m. beef market and showmanship show begins.
• Aug. 13, 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 6 p.m. Shine in the Showring, livestock tent.
• Aug. 14 (Kids Day), 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 6 p.m., Showman of Showmen, livestock tent.
• Aug. 15, 9 a.m., Henry County Junior Fair Livestock Sale, Ag Hall.
On another note, she said they have also provided for “barn bonding events” for the junior fair kids during the fair. Scheduled barn bonding events include: Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m., Farm Bureau square dance in the Ag Hall; Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m., sand volleyball in the Horse Arena; Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m., camp dances in the Ag Hall; Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m, barn yard Olympics in the Horse Arena; Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Heads or Tails-Human Hamsterballs in the Horse Arena; and Aug. 14, following Showman of Showmen, SlipNSlide Kickball in the Horse Arena.
She also noted that Kids Day is on Aug. 14 with Clover Bud graduation at 10 a.m. in the Ag Hall.
“It’s been a labor of love,” said Parcher about all the work involved in organizing and scheduling this year’s junior fair. “We will be happy when it is done, but we are making the best out of the situation. It has been a pleasure to work with all of these organizations to put a positive spin on the fair this year. It’s not the work of just one person, it’s been a team effort of the senior fair board, the junior fair board, the Henry County Ag Improvement Association and the Henry County commissioners.”
“I’m looking forward to this year,” she added. “There are a lot of cool opportunities to come out of this. The junior fair board is excited to have this facility for the junior fair for the years to come,” she said about the planned community event center. We are excited for the growth in the county in this direction.”“It’s going to be a haul-in show for the large animals,” said Parcher, explaining that due to lack of housing space this year the larger animals will be brought in for the day of the show and leave the same day. “If they are market animal livestock the committee has made arrangements for transport of those animals.”
In addition, the winners — grand champions and reserve champions — will remain at the fair until the livestock sale on Aug. 15 and be housed in a designated area set aside for the champions in the horse barn.
However, “it will be business as usual for the rabbits, poultry and horses,” as their usual housing and show areas still stand. Also there will be only junior fair shows and no open shows this year, except for the open draft horse show, which is at the other end of the fairgrounds.
According to Parcher, Thursday (Aug. 8) is the hog show; Friday (Aug. 9) will be the sheep and goats; Saturday (Aug. 10) is dogs; and on Monday (Aug. 12) will be the dairy cattle, as well as the beef cattle showing.
Times of the main shows per the schedule follow:
• Aug. 8, at 8 a.m., junior fair poultry show, SA Arena; 10:30 a.m., junior fair swine show begins in livestock tent.
• Aug. 9, at 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 9 a.m., junior fair rabbit show, SA Arena; 10 a.m. junior fair sheep show, livestock tent; 12 p.m., junior fair goat show, livestock tent.
• Aug. 10, at 9 a.m junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 9 a.m. junior fair dog show, livestock tent.
• Aug. 11, at 1 p.m. junior fair horse show, Horse Arena.
• Aug. 12, at 9 a.m., junior fair dairy show, livestock tent; 1 p.m., beef breeding show begins, livestock tent; 3 p.m. beef market and showmanship show begins.
• Aug. 13, 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 6 p.m. Shine in the Showring, livestock tent.
• Aug. 14 (Kids Day), 9 a.m., junior fair horse show, Horse Arena; 6 p.m., Showman of Showmen, livestock tent.
• Aug. 15, 9 a.m., Henry County Junior Fair Livestock Sale, Ag Hall.
On another note, she said they have also provided for “barn bonding events” for the junior fair kids during the fair. Scheduled barn bonding events include: Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m., Farm Bureau square dance in the Ag Hall; Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m., sand volleyball in the Horse Arena; Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m., camp dances in the Ag Hall; Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m, barn yard Olympics in the Horse Arena; Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Heads or Tails-Human Hamsterballs in the Horse Arena; and Aug. 14, following Showman of Showmen, SlipNSlide Kickball in the Horse Arena.
She also noted that Kids Day is on Aug. 14 with Clover Bud graduation at 10 a.m. in the Ag Hall.
“It’s been a labor of love,” said Parcher about all the work involved in organizing and scheduling this year’s junior fair. “We will be happy when it is done, but we are making the best out of the situation. It has been a pleasure to work with all of these organizations to put a positive spin on the fair this year. It’s not the work of just one person, it’s been a team effort of the senior fair board, the junior fair board, the Henry County Ag Improvement Association and the Henry County commissioners.”
“I’m looking forward to this year,” she added. “There are a lot of cool opportunities to come out of this. The junior fair board is excited to have this facility for the junior fair for the years to come,” she said about the planned community event center. We are excited for the growth in the county in this direction.”
Published July 20, 2024 by the Crescent-News. Written by Wendy Bryant Scheurich.
