A view of the Wonder Wheel at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds in Columbus on Thursday.
Fair fun is back.
Opening today, the 65th annual Bartholomew County 4-H Fair is expected to attract up to 100,000 visitors to the fairgrounds south of Garden City through July 1.
Considered the most popular annual event in the county, the fair will officially open at 5 p.m. Columbus City Engineer Andrew Beckort said that, to the best of his knowledge, there will be no city or county road projects that should delay fair-bound traffic on the main roads.
However, drivers may want to avoid the construction area near the Interstate 65/State Road 46 interchange that will not be completed until late July, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
While today’s temperatures will remain comfortable, there is a 40% chance of a shower in the Accuweather forecast. A surge of warmer air will bring weekend temperatures near 90 degrees, with a strong thunderstorm possible Sunday afternoon. Although another storm is possible Monday, afternoon highs for the rest of the fair should be comfortable with a daily high around 80 degrees.
Three concerts representing a variety of different musical genres begin at 7 p.m. this evening.
Inside the Tony Stewart Raceway grandstand, the 11-piece Indianapolis-based Woomblies Rock Orchestra has a repertoire ranging from the Electric Light Orchestra’s “Living Thing” to the Four Tops’ “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got).” Individual tickets are $5, but children 12 and younger will be admitted free.
At the David Boll Theatre, the Night Owl Country Band is expected to bring in a large local following. While the band hails from Bartholomew County, the five musicians have made an impression well outside of south central Indiana. Their “Off The Tracks” recording was chosen as the 2022 Band Album of the Year by the International Singer Songwriters Association. Their performance will be free.
Fair goers can enjoy a mixture of different music genres and original songs when Louie and Teresa Green perform in the Farm Bureau Building. This concert, which is called “Green Timber Music” is also free.
Patrons who cite food as a main reason for returning to the fair will find some changes. After running the only concession that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for more than 70 years, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church announced last winter they would not return this summer. In recent years, the church has found it difficult to find sufficient volunteers for the nine-day event.
Taking their place in running the open air restaurant is the Love Chapel, a part of the Bartholomew County Ecumenical Assembly that is able to recruit volunteers from 25 different churches, as well as several supporters. A spokesman for Love Chapel estimates about 275 volunteers have been recruited to do everything from purchasing, delivery and storage to meal preparation and serving. Breakfast will be available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., while lunch and dinner items will be served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Since the Lion’s Club disbanded last year after 78 years in Columbus, their food operation at the fair is being taken over by The Big Cheese. The delicatessen at 2403 Cottage Avenue has been offering sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks in Columbus for more than 40 years.
This is the second year the midway is under the control of Kissel Entertainment of Clanton, Alabama. Adrenalin-pumping thrill rides new to Bartholomew County include Kong’s Tower, Alakazam and Nemesis 360, midway manager Keith Hamby said.
“We trade out rides every year,” Hamby said.
But the midway manager said traditional fair favorites have returned including bumper cars, the Ferris wheel and Tilt-A-Whirl.
There will be number of bargain nights where the purchase of a wristband provides unlimited rides. For example, a $25 wristbands will provide unlimited rides from 8 p.m. until midnight tonight.
But there is also the “VIP Fast Pass”, which essentially allows you to skip long lines, Hamby said. The Fast Pass costs $20, and can be purchased at a booth next to the Nemesis 360, he said.
The 4-H activities today include the Lil’ Wrangler and 4-H Poultry shows at 10 a.m. in the pavilion, as well as Lil’ Hands on the Farm from 5 to 10 p.m. in the 4-H Community, Family Arts and Commercial buildings.
During the evening, a rock painting presentation will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Family Arts Building, while a 4-H blacksmithing demonstration is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. in Building 6. The final 4-H activity tonight will be the 8 p.m. Watermelon Relay in the Horse Arena.
Many fair patrons may not realize the extensive amount of unpaid work put in by participants and volunteers to prepare for the event.
Most of the 4-H members exhibiting livestock have been taking care of their animals on a daily basis since at least February. Getting those animals ready for competition can require up to four hours of work each day, several members said last year.
Since the end of May, volunteers have been refurbishing outdoor fixtures, setting up tents and cleaning out buildings. They include six 4-H Fair Board officers, 15 directors and several 4-H junior leaders, who handle the preparation and upkeep of the Livestock Barn and Pavilion. Representing the 4-H Council are five officers, eight adult directors and four junior leaders.
Getting the right 4-H information to the right people is the responsibility of the eight-member staff at the Purdue Extension Office of Bartholomew County. They follow directions of a 13-member extension board.
The extension office staff, who essentially move to the fairgrounds prior to and during the fair, have several responsibilities, office manager Brenda Shireman said. For example, 4-H Youth Development program and extension manager Elisabeth Eaton is the one who recruits out-of-county judges to ensure no favoritism, Shireman said.
The staff has to prepare information binders for judges in several dozen categories, print off identification labels for appropriate exhibits, send out media releases concerning prize winners and reply to public questions, Shireman said.
Saturday’s Fair Schedule (Bartholomew County Farm Bureau Day)
Military Appreciation Day (Anyone with a military ID can park for free.)
8:30 a.m. — 4-H Horse & Pony Western Halter & Performance Show and Versatility Demonstration.
9 a.m. — Lil’ Wranglers Goat Show & 4-H Goat Show at the Pavilion; order: pygmy, dairy, meat. Meat show will begin 15 minutes after dairy or no earlier than 2 p.m.
2-10 p.m. — 4-H Community, Family Arts Buildings, Commercial Buildings open
2-7 p.m. — 4-H blacksmithing continuous demonstrations throughout the day, Building 6
2 p.m. — Midway opens. Regular tickets until 8 p.m.
3 p.m. — Little Miss & Mister Contest at the David Boll Theatre
5 p.m. — Fishers of Men (Christian music) at the David Boll Theatre
5 p.m. — Lil’ Hands on the Farm opens
5 p.m. — Pedal Tractor Pull, east of the Farm Bureau Building. Registration from 3-5 p.m., $2 entry
5-6 p.m. — Let’s Bake a Pie Contest entry registration, Family Arts
6-7 p.m. — Let’s Bake a Pie Contest — Extension Homemakers’ fair week activity – Family Arts Building
7 p.m. — Demolition derby, sponsored by Toast Promotion, Grandstand
8 p.m. — Midnight Madness Midway, $25 wristbands until midnight.
