Fair ends with solid weekend

By Citizen Staff | Posted: Sunday, August 22, 2010

Kaitlyn Oechsner waits for the Little Britches Contest to begin Sunday afternoon at the Dodge County Fair. Citizen Staff/Megan Sheridan

The Dodge County Fair ended on a high note and as a result should record another successful year, according to Fair Board President Jim Schoenike.

"We had an excellent fair," Schoenike said Sunday evening as the last event, a demolition derby was just beginning.

Demolition derbies are always one of the biggest draws at the fair and the grandstand seating was packed.

The fair had to overcome a challenging Friday night. A storm with strong winds and heavy rain swept through the area resulting in some damage and cancellations.

Grandstand act Tesla took the stage about an hour late Friday, but entertainment elsewhere on the fairgrounds was cancelled.

In addition, some minor damage had to be cleaned up and the rain left the track unusable Saturday for both the horse pull and the tractor pull.

Schoenike expressed disappointment about having to cancel the two events.

But he was pleased with the response to efforts in recent years to add entertainment through smaller stages including the Radio Park stage and the Talent Tent stage. Schoenike said fair goers have given positive feedback about the additional music.

Another sign of success included 430 people entering open class judging at the fair. That number is up from 2009 when 401 people entered open class.

Schoenike said when final numbers are tallied he expects the fair will have drawn well more than 50,000 people over course of five days.

The fair board will revisit a decision to charge $1 for wristbands that were required by those who drank alcohol. Money from the wristband sales went to four local charities, but there was some grumbling throughout the weekend about the policy and the $1 fee.