Good County Fairs Are Coming Up
Ashtabula County's fair is upon us and it is one's chance for a fine educational, as well as entertaining, time. The fair will be held…
Ashtabula County’s fair is upon us and it is one’s chance for a fine educational, as well as entertaining, time. The fair will be held Aug. 5-10 at the fairgrounds in Jefferson.
Among the many displays are the various breeds of livestock including dairy, hogs, sheep, goats and poultry. Walking around the livestock exhibits and talking to the owners is a good opportunity to learn about how the animals are raised and cared for.
Across the road at the west end of the fairgrounds are the draft horses and the 4-H Saddle Horse clubs. The massive draft horses are always fun to see and watch in any horse pulls that are held. The 4-H clubs have several fine horse shows and offer another chance to see youth in action.
If one lives in town, it can be an educational visit and one of the benefits of the fair, with all these fine animals at one location.
Then, there are the livestock shows where the animals are judged one against the other to see and learn the ones that are considered the best. Judging is done by experienced and qualified people. At the same time, keep in mind that the judge is just one person and where the animals are placed is that person’s judgment at that time.
If one enjoys auctions, come to the livestock and cheese auctions that will be held Saturday afternoon.
From the livestock, move down past the farm equipment display to the other end of the fairgrounds to the 4-H building. Here, one will find many excellent displays from 4-H clubs in the county. Scouts and several other groups also have displays in this building. Walk around and study them at one’s leisure.
Ashtabula County granges always have some attractive displays in their building and are worth the time to view. In the same building, there are many vegetable, pies, cakes and flowers entered for competition. It is interesting to see which ones are judged best.
Also, the horticulture building, with its many fine displays, is worth one’s time. The octagon building is a good setting for the beautiful displays.
In the FFA buildings are the FFA exhibits and the hay and grain displays. One can see what a judge decides what the best bale of hay or sample of grain is like.
In the commercial building and under the grandstand are usually some interesting displays where one can find things of interest. Many are just commercial, but some are also educational.
Do not forget the outstanding milkshakes and cheese sandwiches one can enjoy at the Holstein Booth. Folks at the Jefferson and Austinburg Grange buildings also serve great food. Other sources are available along the midway but may not have the best foods for some of the visitors’ diets.
So, come on out and enjoy the sights and sounds of the county fair and have an enjoyable and interesting time.
And if one misses the Ashtabula County Fair, try the Lake County or Geauga County fairs. The Lake County Fair is Aug. 12-17 and Geauga County Fair, a very good and unique fair, is Aug. 28 to Sept. 1. Much volunteer work goes into holding a county fair and these volunteers need a big thank you.
Parker is an independent agricultural writer.
