Curtain closes on Van Wert County Fair

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Rain on Sunday didn’t do much to dampen the 166th annual Van Wert County Fair. Events went on as scheduled during daytime and nighttime hours, including a pair of grandstand events.

The fair came to a close Monday night, except for the Jr. Fair livestock sale, which takes place today.

The headliners during the Labor Day holiday weekend were Addison Agen, who was the runner-up on Season 13 of NBC’s The Voice, and Girl Named Tom, the winners of Season 21 of The Voice. Both performed Saturday night and both offered impressive and well received performances.

The grandstand area came to life again on Sunday with motocross racing, featuring daredevil bikers that performed all sorts of twists and turns while going up and down hills on the way to the finish line, followed by the A Bar Rodeo, which showcased fast-paced action featuring bulls, cowboys and cowgirls and plenty of spills.

Other weekend offerings included the always popular Showmen of Showmen Contest, the 5th quarter event for Van Wert County middle and high school students, marching bands, an OSU Bash for Ohio State Buckeyes fans, a milk mustache contest, live music performances and the Cincinnati Circus Stunt Show.

The weekend also featured various Jr. and Sr. Fair livestock shows including the best dressed animal contest, plus wood carving and the wood carver auction, magic shows, Jeep and car shows, and cornhole and horseshoe tournaments.

Harness racing returned Monday afternoon, followed by the traditional closer, the demolition derby, which showcased several classes and payouts ranging from $200 to $2,000. It was also the final chance to grab fair food, ranging from deep-fried goodies to corn dogs.