Let's Chat About...County Fairs
Fair time is always exciting here in Northwestern Minnesota! Last year I started volunteering to help with the event, and discovered just how much work and planning goes into it!
Most of my life I thought the fair revolved around the carnival rides and food stands, but with age, I've discovered there is much more! This year the Marshall County Fair will be held Wednesday July 22 through Sunday July 28th. Each year it's kicked off with a parade Wednesday evening, which includes well over 100 entries.
The Marshall County Fair is located in Warren, Minnesota and this venue attracts over 35,000 visitors each year. The fairgrounds are nearby a campsite, a golf course, a public swimming pool, and the Marshall County Historical Society Exhibit building. A new grandstand structure was built a couple years ago and will accommodate 2,500 people!
The grandstand area is always kept very clean and comfortable. And it also offers a beer garden & food stand, both operated by the Warren American Legion.
Some of the most sought-after entertainment is held in the grandstand area! This year's lineup looks like this:
Wednesday: 8:00 PM - Veterans Program following the parade
Thursday: 8:00 PM - "Terri Clark" concert with "Kissing Company" as the opening act @ 6:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 PM - "The Fabulous Armadillos" concert w/ Fireworks at Dusk
Saturday: 6:00 PM - Redneck Baja Racing (4, 6, & 8 cylinder cars)
Sunday: 9:30 AM - Worship Service and 1:00 PM - Redneck Baja Racing (Trucks, Vans & SUV's)
Not only is there the main grandstand stage, but we have also have the Vonasek free stage! There are many great acts and talents featured here with plenty of seating and a children's play area nearby. One of my favorite Free Stage events is the local talent show. It's so great to see adults and children alike sharing their special talents!
This year's free stage schedule:
4-H is a very large part of what makes up County Fairs and ours is no different. They provide attractions such as livestock exhibits, arts & crafts, performances on the free stage and horse shows. They also have a Food Stand which all the 4-Hers take turns working in.
Here is the upcoming 4-H schedule:
Not only are there 4-H exhibits, but there's also an Open Class where the general public can participate. I didn't know much about this until I started volunteering last year as Superintendent of the Arts division. This experience has been very interesting and enlightening, it's great to see all the local involvement.
Open Class divisions include:
Cattle - Beef & Dairy
Sheep, Swine & Goats
Poultry & Rabbits
Horses
Field & Farm Crops
Culinary
Domestics
Arts
Flowers
Settlers Square
Senior Citizen Clubs
Handyman's Haven
Wine & Beer
Monday, July 22nd: Last Day for Online Entry for all General and Livestock Exhibits.
Tuesday, July 23rd - 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM in the Open Class Building: Bring your exhibits
For more information about getting involved or entering an open item visit the link below:
And then there is the carnival on the midway! My kids always judged the value of a fair by the size and number of rides it had. I remember thinking that way too as a child but now I realize there is a lot more to it.
One judgement I have now is how clean and tidy the midway looks. Here in Marshall County, I believe we have one of the most respectable midways around! We also have many clean and neat buildings that display exhibits, vendors and other activities. The livestock barns are also very well maintained.
This year's carnival is put on by "Amusement Attractions" and advanced tickets are only available to purchase online.
One of my favorite things at the fair is eating at the food stands! We have some great food and snack vendors, along with the midway carnival stands.
Here is this year's list of vendors:
American Legion Stand
4H Food Stand
Chef Mobile
D&D Concessions
Grandma's Cookies
Greek To Me
Hobo Tacos
KT Concessions
Lake Country Concessions
Maggie's Catering & Bakery
Malt Wagon
Mini Donuts
Mo's Concessions
Rainbow Concessions
Spud Wagon
SS Kettle Korn
S & S Specialty Foods
Texas Best BBQ
The Barge
Top Hawg
Wok 'N Roll
Along with everything I have already mentioned, there is still so much more to see & do!
Open Horse Show: Sun. 9:00 am @ the 4-H Arena
Mounted Shooters: Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am and Sun. 9:00 am @ the Rusty Gate Arena
Bingo: Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 2:00 - 10:00 pm and Sun. 1:00 - 4:00 pm @ the KC Bingo Hall
ATV Training: Sat. 9:00 am @ Vonasek Free Stage
Talent Contest: Sat. 1:00 - 2:00 @ Vonasek Free Stage
Beef Cookoff: Sat. 9:00 am, Judging 3:30 pm under the Grandstands
Pedal Pull: Sat. Noon @ East Side of Poultry Barn
Car Show: Sat. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm @ Holiday Park
RJ Kern Photography Show: Fri 2:00 - 5:00 pm; Sat. 1:00 - 4:00 pm; Sun. 11:00 am @ the Extension Education Building
And then there's Settler's Square! This is a great place to come and unwind from the hustle and bustle that's going on down the midway. There is so much to see and do here including the museum, lefse making and haircuts in the Barber Shop. We are very fortunate to have this space and it's very well taken care of!
Just when I thought I had touched on everything our County Fair has to offer, there is still more!
Shuttle Service (Pick up @ Harvest Church downtown Warren)
Beer Garden
Baby Barn
Quilt Display
Face Painting
Vendor Booths
Street Dance @ The American Legion Saturday Night
Marshall the Rooster became a new attraction at the fair a couple of years ago. You will see him throughout the fairgrounds offering a great photo opportunity! If you take your picture with Marshall, please post on Facebook or Instagram @marshallcountyfair and hashtag #marshallmoment
I will have to say that my favorite event at the Marshall County Fair is the Redneck Baja Racing! It's so fun watching and cheering on all the local competition! This attraction has replaced the traditional Demolition Derby and has had great response over the past years. The course is rough & rugged as the drivers bump and grind all the way to the finish line. You may even witness a rollover or 2! If you have never experienced Northern Minnesota Baja Racing, you won't want to miss it!!
And last, but certainly not least, I would like to give a shout out to the Fair Board, Sponsors and Volunteers that make this great event happen. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes that very few people realize. And without the financial support of our sponsors, the fair wouldn't be as nice as it is. Thank you all!!
For more information about the Marshall County Fair, visit www.marshallcountyfair.org
If you have anything to add or experiences to share, please comment below!
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