Here comes the Burt County Fair!

Personal Column

Mary Loftis

UNL Extension Assistant

mloftis2@unl.edu

July 25, 2013

Ready or Not,…Here Comes the Burt County Fair!

The annual Burt County Fair officially starts this Friday, August 2 and runs through Tuesday, August 6^th.  If all you do is come to the fair to watch a livestock show, take a quick tour through the 4-H and Open Class Buildings and see what the midway has to offer, we welcome you. However for the hundreds of Burt County residents, who work many hours, sometimes year round to make this 5 day event a reality, I want to take my hat off in appreciation for all they do and I encourage you to consider what it takes to “pull it all together” and hopefully make it look effortless.

First of all we have the Burt County Ag Society, also known as The Fair Board. These twelve individuals meet year round to help plan and guide the direction of the current and future fairs. They started planning for the 2014 fair several months ago!

The Burt County Fair Foundation is still in its “toddler” stage of development, but in the 2½ years it has been in existence it has brought renewed energy, vision and excitement to the Burt County Fair. Thanks to the funds raised through the big winter fundraisers this group provides finances and committee members to the Ag Society to schedule all the fair entertainment both on the big stage and in the Pavilion. The Kid Zone will be back for it’s second year with toys and activities to keep the little ones entertained while Mom and Dad visit with friends and neighbors. Thanks to the Foundation it will be under a renewed shelter this year. The Kohlmeier Pavilion became too small for the entertainment and audiences it served for many years. It was moved closer to the 4-H Kitchen and now will be part of the Kid Zone. The Fair Foundation then replaced the Kohlmeier Pavilion with a new and larger pavilion for entertainment during the fair and for use throughout the year. The finishing touches are being made right now.

UNL Extension works its magic, with the help and support of the Burt County Extension Board and the Burt County 4-H Council throughout the year and especially at fair time to make the fair an opportunity for learning as well as fun. Thanks to the help and support of the county 4-H Leaders, local FFA advisors, and many volunteer superintendents these 4-H and FFA members have the opportunity to exhibit their projects and take part in educational activities. Projects may include showing and judging livestock, horses, smaller animals, and chickens, as well as shooting sports competitions and static exhibits including foods, home environment, woodworking, gardening and much more. Interview judging lets the 4-H members learn face to face what they did right, or how an exhibit might be improved next time. It also gives them the confidence to talk to an adult about their exhibits.

Behind the scenes the fair book is updated, judges are hired, sponsors are contacted, trophies are ordered, events are planned, publicized and held, exhibits are entered and displayed and more boxes than you could ever imagine are hauled from the basement. Thanks to the work of John Wilson, Carroll Welte, Sharon Wimer and for the fifth and final summer as our intern, Justine Bucy this all takes place, usually with a smile! It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes an army to put on a fair!

Of course maintenance is needed to make the fairgrounds ready for “company” not only during the fair, but all year round. Brenda Pearson and Gary Elsasser and crew make this happen and keep it happening throughout the year. Immediately before and after the fair 4-H Clubs and FFA Chapters volunteer their labor to paint, set up, take down and clean up essential elements of the fair.

Besides the midway food opportunities, the two major food stands provide delicious and nutritious offerings. The 4-H Kitchen and the Methodist Kitchen are manned by wonderful volunteers who work long hours to make the beef burger, pies, salads and much more for the fair-going public. The Burt County Beef Feeders also provide a wonderful meal as well on Sunday after the parade as do the volunteers running the Fair Foundation Concession Stand and Left Field to fulfill your fair-going needs throughout the fair.

Organizers of all sorts make sure the parade, mud volleyball, horse events, bingo, all the entertainment events and so much more go off without a hitch. Volunteer auctioneers & clerks, all the fair donors, open class and school exhibit superintendents, local vendors and the golf cart shuttle make the fair entertaining and accessible for all.

Our local newspapers always do a bang-up job not only reporting activities and results during the fair, but promoting opportunities throughout the year.

If you haven’t picked up a Burt County Fair book yet they are available at the UNL Extension Office in Tekamah and at all the Burt County Banks and the Uehling Bank. Check out the schedule and make the Burt County Fair YOUR fair by entering exhibits, participating in the activities and better yet, volunteering to help! And if you get a chance…tell anyone and everyone “thanks” for making the Burt County Fair possible.