The Jackson County Fair opened Sunday afternoon despite sizzling heat and some last-minute glitches.
The glitches included the loss of water early Sunday morning after a carnival worker broke a water line, but that proved to be a minor issue, fair board member Mark Norman said.
“At 5:30 this morning, I got called from the county jail that one of the (carnival workers) broke one of the water lines, so we had to turn the water off,” Norman said, nothing that problem was taken care of.
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A late decision to work on the lighting on the arch at the entrance also created some issues over the weekend, but by Sunday morning, Alan and Robbie Stuckwisch with Stuckwisch Power Washing in Seymour were putting the finishing touches on cleaning it.
It was the first time in many years that it had seen a heavy cleaning.
By mid-morning, most of the fairgrounds was ready for the thousands of visitors expected this week.
“We’re hoping this rainstorm comes in tonight or tomorrow morning and breaks it,” Norman said of the excessive heat. “We’re going to have a great fair.”
By Sunday morning, the county’s largest hog, Tom, was settled into his place at the front of swine barn.
Tom, who belongs to 18-year-old Haley Reedy and her brother, 13-year-old Dalton Reedy, weighed in at 1,067 pounds during check-in Friday. That’s up from 761 a year ago when he finished second.
The Reedys, who live in the Freetown area, said Tom gets fed three times a day.
What’s he eat?
“Cow feed,” Haley said of the 4-year-old Yorkshire.
“We plan on taking him to state,” she said. “We’re hoping he can win it.”
Haley said Tom was probably going to lose a little weight this week because of the heat.
“He’s missing his mud,” she said.
Haley said they hope to put some weight back on him between the end of the county fair Saturday and the state fair, which begins Aug. 2.
Claire Marshall, 13, of Seymour said she has been working with her shorthorn steer all summer in preparation for the open show, which was Sunday, and the 4-H show Thursday.
She said she is ready and hopes to pull out a win.
“We’ll see,” Marshall said.
Norman said he’s excited about Friday’s grandstand show featuring the Sounds of Summer from North Vernon. The group plays music from the ’60s, including The Beach Boys.
“They’ve been to New York, and they’re going to Utah in the next couple of weeks, and I heard they got invited to go to Australia,” Norman said.
In the past, the Friday night show has generally featured a country music act.
“I tried to do something different on Friday night,” he said. “Everybody is all excited about them coming.”
Today’s spelling bee has been moved to the pavilion from the grandstand, freeing that up for a country music concert by Cody Ikerd and the Sidewinders from Bedford.
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Fair calendar
Today
7 a.m.: All 4-H swine entries must be penned
8:30 a.m.: Weigh-in of 4-H swine, gilts and market barrows, show arena 1
8 to 9 a.m.: Register 4-H rabbits, rabbit barn
9 a.m.: 4-H rabbit judging, rabbit barn
9 to 11 a.m.: Register 4-H poultry, show arena 2
10 a.m.: 4-H aerospace rocket launch, grandstand
11 a.m.: 4-H poultry judging, show arena 2
3 p.m.: 4-H swine gilt show and showmanship, show arena 1
3 p.m.: 43rd annual Jackson County Spelling Bee, pavilion
4 p.m.: Closing for 4-H livestock entries (except dairy)
4 to 5 p.m.: Check in 4-H registered heifers
4 to 8 p.m.: "Drones and Technology in Agriculture," Jackson County Farm Bureau Building
4 to 10 p.m.: Industry Showcase, building 4
5 p.m.: Judging of 4-H boer goat and myotonic goat show, show arena 2
6 p.m.: Colt Wienhorst and Company, antique building stage
6 p.m. to close: Poor Jack Amusements (coupon night with unlimited rides with $20 bracelet, $17 with Poor Jack coupon)
7 p.m.: Nightly antique machinery demonstration behind the antique building; bridge building demonstration, antique annex
8 p.m.: Cody Ikerd and the Sidewinders (admission $10 adults; $5 children 6 to 12; under 6 free), grandstand
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