Candidates for the title of 2024 Jefferson County Fair King and Queen include (from left) Bayleigh Gump, Lindsey Best, Caleb Miller, Carly Long and Alayna Starr (seated); and (standing) Rachel Jarman, Aubrey Duggan, Hannah Randolph and Natalie Lucas. Madison Zeroski is also a candidate.
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Candidates for the title of Prince and Princess of the 2024 Jefferson County Fair include (from left) seated, Connor Best, Robert Smith, Noah Graham and John Wilson; and standing, Madison Krzys, Kaitlynn Poole, Gabriella Boyuk, CharLaya Trimiar, Avaya Mitchell, Amelia Ault, Leila Sudvary, Regan Wilson, Johanna George, Quinn Handzus and Skylar Hendrix. Grace Miller and Delia Wetherell are also candidates.
SMITHFIELD — Implementing the theme in a sporty way “Change is good”, The 153rd Jefferson County Fair will bring a handful of positive changes and offer something for everyone, said fair chairman Roy Hildebrand.
“Everything must change to remain new,” said Hildebrand, pointing out that the topic originated at the recent meeting of the Ohio Fair Manager Association.
The 2024 fair will be held at 1505 Friendship Park Road and will begin with the opening ceremony at 5 p.m. Monday at the Rosza Pavilion. During this time, the gates will be open and admission is free, however the rides and most food vendors will not be operating.
The fair is in full swing from Tuesday to Sunday. The gates open daily at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. The rides open daily at 2 p.m.
The fairground will be back, lined with food stalls, rides and games.
For entertainment, the show features some classics and new additions, including a cheerleading competition and off-road dirt track racing on Tuesday, a bump-and-run autocross with quads on Wednesday, a bull riding and barrel racing rodeo on Thursday, truck and tractor pulls on Friday and Saturday, and a demolition derby on Sunday.
There are performances several times a day throughout the day, including the dog show with Team Zoom, Funny Balloon Guy and Mr. Puppet. Laser tag is played daily and an equipment rodeo is held Thursday through Saturday, giving participants the opportunity to operate heavy farm equipment and win prizes.
Other notable events include the bakery auction on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and the livestock sale on Saturday at noon, according to fair treasurer Debbie Hukill.
This year, a newly poured concrete slab was added where the cheerleading competition will take place, Hildebrand said. The fair will also have two new days specifically designed to welcome people who wouldn’t normally be able to attend the fair, he said.
On August 10, Edison Local School District student Mimi Ault and the Special Olympics are partnering to bring people with disabilities into the fair’s show ring, where they can show off a lamb, pig or rabbit for free.
On Wednesday, the fair will be free to children and adults who are clients of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. Hildebrand said he expects up to 75 people to attend because of this offering.
“We are happy to have them,” Said Hildebrand. “Everyone in the district should have the opportunity to come to the fair.”
Admission is $15 and includes all rides and all nightly entertainment. Those under 2 or over 70 are admitted free any day, those with an Ohio Department of Aging Golden Buckeye Card are admitted free on Tuesday, and veterans are admitted free on Saturday.
The fair would not be complete without the Junior Fair, which includes exhibits from Future Farmers of America, Scouts, independent exhibitors and 4-H.
Angie Allison, a 4-H educator with the Jefferson County Extension Office at Ohio State University, said Junior Fair members with projects in cooking, woodworking or photography have already completed their competitions and will set up booths at the fair that will be open to visitors.
The fair will also feature plenty of livestock-related activities, with 4-H youth participating in companion animal and farm animal competitions. The animals the youth have raised themselves range from large animals like cows and pigs to small animals like chickens and guinea pigs.
In addition, four Junior Fair members will be crowned King, Queen, Prince and Princess of the Fair during the opening ceremony on Monday.
“The Junior Fair offers our young members a tremendous amount of leadership opportunities,” Allison said: “and it puts the county and the world’s youngest food entrepreneurs in the spotlight. … Not only are they learning the work ethic that it takes to properly raise an animal and bring it to market, but they’re learning how to protect the environment and they’re learning about the business.”
The children also benefit from the livestock auction, where their animals are sold to the highest bidder. Allison noted that many participants invest in their future by saving money for college or a first car.
The number of individuals supporting the fair is too large to list, ranging from district offices to private individuals, said Hidlebrand, adding: “Without these people we couldn’t have done it.”
Hildebrand said that the commitment of the trade fair board is what enables the trade fair to “come across flawlessly.”
Sadly, Hildebrand said, the fair community is mourning the loss of some of its biggest supporters, including Larry Mosti, who coordinated fire and rescue services; Eddie Mercer, who served on the fair’s board of directors for many years; Bill Koniski, who mowed the fairgrounds’ lawns; and Rick Rine, the fair’s acting vice president, who passed away last month.
“We will miss all the people we have lost this year,” Said Hildebrand. “You were a big part of this fair.”
Mosti will have the honor of being this year’s grand marshal of the fair, Hukill said, adding that Mosti’s family and all emergency firefighters are invited to participate in the fair’s parade at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Information about the fair and an entertainment program can be found on the Facebook page and at https://thejeffersoncountyfair.com/
