Jr. Fair livestock shows get underway

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

It was a fairly quiet day at the Van Wert County Fair on Thursday, with no major fair-wide events held, although Junior Fair livestock shows got going in a big way.

Junior Fair shows held Thursday included the Poultry, Goat and Sheep shows. Also held Thursday were the FFA Crop & Shop and Vegetable & Flower Show judging (click here for Junior Fair results).

Harness pari-mutuel racing also began on Thursday and will continue today at 7 p.m. in front of the grandstand.

Thursday was important to the youngsters, though, as it was Kids Day, which gave all children under age 9 free admission into the fair and those older admission for just $3.

Today is a doubly special day, seeing as it’s both Veterans Day and Senior Citizens Day. Area military veterans and those over the age of 60 get into the fair free today, while there will also be special programs for veterans, starting at noon in the Entertainment Tent. Vets and seniors can also have free doughnuts in the Entertainment Tent from 8:30-10:30 this morning, while veterans can eat bean soup and cornbread in the Entertainment Tent from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. A Veterans Day Parade will also be held at 11:30 a.m. today, starting on Balyeat Avenue north of the fairgrounds.

There also be veterans and senior citizens drawings in the Entertainment Tent, starting at 1 this afternoon.

Local entertainer Tom Ruppert will also sing Big Band standards in the Entertainment Tent at 10 a.m., while Crossroads will perform two shows today, from 2-3 p.m. and then from 7:30-10 this evening, both in the Entertainment Tent.

The Browns will entertain with their unique Gospel stylings in the Gospel Pavilion, beginning at 7 p.m.

Senior Fair shows will also get underway today, with the American Dairy Goat Show, Open Class Mules/Miniature Horse Show, the Pleasure Horse Show, Poultry-Pigeon-Bird Show, Senior Fair Stock Horse Show, and Ryan Trentman Memorial Open Swine Show all being held at various times today (click here for a copy of the 2012 fair book and schedules).

The singles horseshoe contest will also be held today, from 1-6 p.m., on the horseshoe court south of the grandstand, while the Bear Hollow Wood Carver Show will have four showings, at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.