Chris Frazier, 14, right, helps Jeff Combs, center, and Brooke Combs, 14, with unloading two of 11 female swine from I and B Farms of Casstown on Thursday. Brooke and her brother, Isaac, 15, not pictured, are members of the Miami East High School FFA. The Combs family is a part of the Farrow To Finish 4-H Club. Staff Photo/ANTHONY WEBER
County Fair now open It's a little bit country
By Jennifer Runyon Brown News Service
Today marks the beginning of the Miami County Fair, and with high temperatures expected in the upper 70s and lower 80s for the week, those behind the scenes working to put the fair together are thrilled.
"Everyone is very excited about the cooler weather. It will make it more enjoyable, and hopefully our attendance rates will increase," said Junior Fair Board President Amanda Jack son.
Many new faces and attractions will make up this year's fair and Jackson said preparations have gone as expected.
"Everything's gone pretty smoothly," she said.
The flag-raising ceremony is planned for noon today at the Grandstand and the Salute to Veterans will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
"Everything there is new and exciting, and we can't wait to see how it goes," she said.
Beginning at 2 p.m. today, the public is invited to vote for the People's Choice Awards in the Art Hall. The voting is open to all non-food items within the building. Categories for these awards range from painting to quilting and as Jackson said, "about anything in between."
These categories are further broken down into youth, under 18 and adult divisions. Voting will close at 10 p.m. Wednesday.
The fair will be at the Miami County Fairgrounds on County Road 25-A today through Thursday. Veterans and their spouses may get in free with proper ID on Wednesday, Armed Forces Day. Also on Wednesday, those older than 65 can get in free and one parent may get in free per child until 1 p.m. in honor of Kids' Day. The festivities begin at various times throughout the week with buildings and vendors closing at 10 p.m. Rides and games will close at 11 p.m
