Fair ends with cooler temps on Labor Day

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Temperatures were lower and attendance higher as the Van Wert County Fair came to its abbreviated close on Monday.

The Labor Day holiday always includes a number of special activities and events at the fair, including thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, and this Labor Day was no exception. Included in the thoroughbred races was the Van Wert County Fair 1 1/8-mile Derby.

The Bear Hollow chainsaw wood carvers had three shows on Monday to show off their unique woodcarving talents, while dancers from Kim Hohman’s DanceWorks and Pam’s School of Dance demonstrated their talents as well in the Entertainment Tent (click here for a 2011 Van Wert County Fair photo page).

The Senior Fair Dairy Show and the Open Sheep Show were also held on Monday, and were the last of the livestock shows for this year’s Senior Fair shows. On the Junior Fair side, the Swine and Poultry shows were held, while the top livestock showman was chosen in the Farm Focus Arena during the Showman of Showmen Contest.

Glenn Parks picked his banjo in the Entertainment Tent while well-known Gospel groups — including Master’s Own, the Pfeifers and Trinity — all sang in the new Gospel Pavilion.

Country singer Melvin Mullin entertained for three hours in the Entertainment Tent in the evening, while Kill the Rabbit brought its energetic brand of rock music to the grandstand Monday night.

Members of the Van Wert County Agricultural Society also elected several directors during an election held Labor Day in the Administration Building.

Meanwhile, although the fair is now officially over, one event remains that is arguably the one Junior Fair livestock exhibitors look forward to the most: the Junior Fair Livestock Auction.

Area businesses and organizations will gather at the Farm Focus Arena this morning, starting at 9, to purchase animals exhibited as part of Junior Fair livestock shows at the fair.

Going on the auction block this morning will be sheep, goats, rabbits, feeder calves, swine, poultry, and steers. Starting off the auction will be the auction of the symbolic gallon of milk, proceeds of which will provide a premium for dairy exhibitors that didn’t show feeder calves.