Buffalo County Fairgrounds set for four-day event

by Beth Kraft

The 143rd annual Buffalo County Fair is set to take place this Thursday, July 30, through Sunday, August 2, on the Mondovi grounds.

This year’s action-packed slate of events will feature a wide range of activities, including an appearance by the Tri-State Pullers, a demolition derby, carnival rides, live music, food, and 4-H and open class entries in various categories.

Buffalo County Fair Board member Jim Kamla said it was important to obtain a big-time entertainment act for the grandstand area Friday night at the fair, and a performance by the Tri-State Pullers just might do the trick.

He said the fair tried introducing a Friday night burnout contest last year, which drew a “great crowd,” but not many participants entered the contest.

“It’s a big investment,” Kamla said of bringing in the Tri-State Pullers, yet it was a risk the Fair Board felt was important to take in hopes of filling the grandstand.

“They have a great following,” Kamla said, noting local residents Kendall Klevgard and Doug Cooke of Gilmanton and Durand’s Mark Heitman compete with Tri-State.

But bringing in the sanctioned pull, which travels all around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, also comes with some extra work for the Fair Board.

“It’s a work-in-progress just because when you have an event like this go on, there’s a lot of people involved,” Kamla explained.

More bleachers and additional fencing  will need to be installed, plus an expanded parking area was necessary to accommodate the many large vehicles the Tri-State Pullers will bring.

A portion of the field directly west of Harrison Street near the pull track was donated by the Schmidtknecht family for use during the fair, Kamla said, stressing that their generosity is the only reason the large-scale truck and tractor pull will be able to take place.

The 2015 swine show and the Junior Fair Meat Animal Sale will also see a few changes.

The swine show at last year’s fair was required to be a terminal show due to concerns about the spread of PEDv, but that restriction has been lifted this year.

Poultry entries were also given the option of entering the fair’s Meat Animal Sale for the first time this year. 

Concerns about PEDv and avian influenza have carried the news in many areas over the past weeks and months, but there have been no outbreaks reported in Buffalo County, said ag agent Carl Duley.

For one, there are not many swine breeding stock producers in Buffalo County, and poultry producers were quick to take precautions, Duley said.

“Once there were outbreaks, [chicken producers] tightened up biosecurity pretty well and very fast,” Duley said.

PEDv is a reality swine producers will continue to deal with, plus swine breeding stock is starting to build some immunity to PEDv, Duley said. Also, the virus is less of a threat during the summer months, leading to the decision to lift the terminal show restriction.

“The state encourages [swine shows] to be a terminal show, but it’s not required,” said Duley.

The grand and reserve champion meat chicken entries will be auctioned off at this year’s Meat Animal Sale, but the change isn’t related to concerns about avian influenza.

However, families who bring poultry entries to the fair will be required to undergo a “self-certification” process to provide information regarding the health of their birds before they are unloaded, Duley said.

A quarantine period of at least two weeks is also recommended to exhibitors upon returning to their home farms with poultry exhibits from the fair.

• Thursday, July 30 •

The fair kicks off today with the judging of Cloverbuds and Explorers entries at 10 a.m. Judging for small animals, cats and animal vet science will begin at 3 p.m. Flowers, natural science, woodworking and computers entries will be judged in the crops building at 5 p.m.

An earlier start time for the swine show was well-received last year and will continue for 2015, commencing in the show arena at 5 p.m.

The Garden Tractor Pull will take place that evening with a 6:30 p.m. start time. Gospel Family Music Night will commence at 7 p.m. to round out the fair’s opening day.

• Friday, July 31 •

The morning’s events will begin in the show arena with exotic animal judging at 8 a.m. followed by the beef show at 9 a.m. Rabbit and poultry judging will also begin at 9 a.m., as will judging for much of the 4-H and open class categories including clothing, foods, knitting & crocheting, home environment, family living & child development, booths, youth leadership/health, social & political science, photography, plants & soil sciences, woodworking, electricity, mechanical science and cultural arts.

The meat goat show will follow the completion of the beef show at approximately 12:30 p.m. The judging of sheep is slated to commence thereafter around 1 p.m.

The 4-H and FFA Junior Meat Animal Sale will take place in the show arena Friday evening at 7 p.m. There are 83 swine, 39 beef steers, 16 sheep, four meat goats and four chickens featured in this year’s sale.

Also that evening, the Tri-State Tractor Pull is set to burn up the pull track beginning at 7 p.m. for a $5 admission fee. Children ages 5 and under are free of charge. Live music by Modena Junction beginning at 10 p.m. will cap off Friday’s activities.

• Saturday, Aug. 1 •

The day’s fair activities will once again start off in the show arena with one final round of animal shows. Dairy goat judging will take place at 8:30 a.m. followed by the dairy show at approximately 9 a.m. The dog show will round out the fair’s youth judging schedule at 3 p.m.

The fair horse pull will take place beginning at 11 a.m. that morning. A demolition derby by Full Throttle Motorsports is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. for a $5 admission fee for attendees ages 6 and up. The action is slated to include classes for power wheels, compact and mid-size, full-size and stock vehicles. Back by popular demand, The Brat Pack Radio Supershow will return to the fair’s stage beginning at 9 p.m. to wrap up the evening’s activities.

• Sunday, Aug. 2 •

The final day of the fair will start off bright and early Sunday morning as participants of the fourth annual Buffalo County Fair BBQ Cook-off fire up their grills beginning at 6 a.m.

A ecumenical worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by the Ag Olympics in the show arena at 11 a.m. A state-sanctioned Kiddie Pedal Pull is slated for a 12 p.m. start, and the fair’s traditional Farm Truck and Tractor Pull is set to rev up at 2 p.m. including classes for farm stock, hot farm, modified, super/pro stock, improved turbo, trucks and semis. 

The PeeWee Dairy Show will also begin at 2 p.m. in the show arena followed by the 4-H awards program at 3 p.m.

Arm bands for carnival rides by Calkins Midways will be available Friday and Saturday from 1 - 5 p.m. at a cost of $16 per day. A $2 discount will be offered Friday afternoon for those who bring two non-perishable items to donate to the fair’s food drive.

Other fair attractions include daily horse and pony rides offered by the Buffalo County 4-H Horse Project with freewill donations accepted, and professional chainsaw carving demonstrations by Dave Watson of Watson’s Woods. Watson’s carvings are scheduled to be auctioned off during the Truck and Tractor Pull on Sunday.

Four rounds of Bingo will also take place during the weekend in the red activity building from 1 - 4 p.m. and 5 - 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. 

As in past years, a wide variety of food and refreshment stands will be on hand throughout the fair; additional parking is available on the Mondovi School grounds.

Conforming with the Buffalo County Substance Abuse Task Force, IDs must be presented to be served alcoholic beverages. Wristbands will be issued in the beer garden.

For more information, please visit www.buffalocountyfairwi.com.