Putnam County Fair gets underway Monday

OTTAWA — Cooking challenges, a parade and harness racing will be some of the highlights of the 170th Putnam County Fair, which begins Monday and continues through June 28. This year's theme is "County Fair is Raising Success." The 2025 fair actually gets started at 7 p.m. Saturday with a parade featuring judging categories for youth, 4-H clubs, commercial, most unique and director's choice. The parade forms at 6 p.m. by Rite Aid, 305 W. Main St., then continues east down Main Street to the fairgrounds. On Monday, opening day of the fair, all veterans will be admitted free. The opening ceremony is scheduled at noon in the plaza area. A baked goods auction takes place at 5 p.m. Fairgoers can select from a wide array of homemade and award-winning pies, cakes, cookies, candy, breads and more. Veterans will be honored at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the grandstands. Following the tribute, the coronation of the fair king and queen will be held. The marching band spectacular begins at 7:15 p.m. Junior fair animal judging and contesting will be held throughout the day, ending with sheep judging and showmanship at 4 p.m. Tuesday is Kids Day, and all children ages 16 and younger will be admitted free until 4 p.m. A Cloverbud recognition will take place at 11 a.m. A kiddie tractor pull will begin at 1:30 p.m., while a bicycle giveaway takes place at 3 p.m. A ride special will also be held. Harness racing begins at 5 p.m. in the grandstand. The Little Mister & Miss Putnam County Fair competition is scheduled for 6 p.m. The fair's cooking challenge competitions begin Tuesday with Delicious Desserts featuring pudding that uses milk. There is no entry fee and no pre-registration. Competitions will be held each day at 7 p.m. in the merchants building. Other challenges include: Best of Beef — beef & noodles, on Wednesday; Heavenly Honey — cornbread, Thursday; Perfectly Prepared Pork — appetizers, Friday; and Tasty Turkey — soup, Saturday. Monetary prizes and medals are awarded for first, second and third places in each challenge. On Wednesday, harness racing starts at 5 p.m. in the grandstand. Junior fair has a day of judging and contests, followed by barn games at 8 p.m. Thursday is Senior Citizens Day, and seniors age 62 and older will be admitted free. Senior festivities will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Farmer for a Day is set from 4-8 p.m., weather permitting. Sponsored by the Putnam County Farm Bureau, the cost is $5 per person or $10 per family. Participants will have the chance to drive a new full-size tractor on the fairgrounds track. A concert featuring Hollywood Strip, a cover band that plays 80s-90s rock, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday is Ag Day. The junior fair livestock sale begins at 8 a.m., and the show of showmen contest begins at 4:30 p.m. in the main show arena. Truck and tractor pulls start at 7 p.m., and the T-102 Country Star Playoffs are at 7:30 p.m. Family Day will be held Saturday featuring junior fair horse awards at 11 a.m., followed by the junior fair kids fun horse show. A demolition derby will take place at 7 p.m. Throughout the week, free entertainment will be provided by the Family Fun Circus. This entertaining show brings magic, comedy, juggling, games and audience participation to one ring, hosted by Cracker Jack the clown. A free shuttle service will be available to all fair patrons with 11 stops throughout the grounds and in the parking lots. Those who want to enjoy fair food without participating in the rest of the day's attractions can go to gate 3 at the arches from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and purchase a special, refundable lunch ticket for $8. After enjoying their choice of lunch at the fair, exit through gate 3 by 1:30 p.m. to return the lunch ticket and be refunded the $8. Lunch tickets will be offered Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Daily admission is $8 for anyone age 10 and older. Children 9 and younger will be admitted free. Season passes can be purchased for $30. A membership pass is also available to Putnam County residents for $30, allowing every day entrance into the fair and voting rights on the fair board of directors. Membership tickets will be sold at the secretary's office until noon on Monday. The daily schedule is as follows: Saturday 7-10 a.m. — Race horse entries, speed office 9 a.m. — Fair office opens 6 p.m. — Parade forms by Rite Aid 7 p.m. — Fair parade; following parade, setup for silent auction 8 p.m. — Fair office closes Sunday 7-10 a.m. — Race horse entries, speed office 8 a.m.-noon — Rabbit weigh-in before penning; poultry/turkey/fowl weigh-in before penning 11 a.m. — Fair office opens 11 a.m.-noon — 4-H club booth set-up, junior fair building Noon-3 p.m. — Culinary, needlework, antiques, art and agriculture entries to merchants building 1 p.m. — Junior fair office opens 3 p.m. — Swine, cattle, lamb and goat livestock in place 3:30 p.m. — Hog, sheep, goat and cattle barn meeting, show arena 4 p.m. — Swine weigh-In, north and south swine barn; lamb/goat weigh-in, lamb/goat barn 5:30 p.m. — Dairy feeder weigh-In, south swine barn; beef feeder weigh-in, north swine barn 6 p.m. — Fair office closes 6:30 p.m. - Steer weigh-in, north swine barn Monday Veteran's Day All Veterans admitted free all day 7 a.m. — Gates open 8 a.m. — Junior fair office opens; junior fair goat judging/showmanship, main show arena 9 a.m. — Fair office opens; junior fair horse/pony showmanship and performance classes, horse arena Noon — Opening ceremony, plaza area 3:30 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 6 and 8:30 p.m. 4 p.m. — Junior fair sheep judging/showmanship, main show arena 5 p.m. — Baked goods auction, entertainment tent 6:30 p.m. — Veterans tribute, grandstands 7 p.m. — King and queen coronation, grandstands 7:15 p.m. — Marching band spectacular, grandstands 9 p.m. — Fair office closes 11 p.m. — Fairgrounds close Tuesday Kid's Day All children 16 and under admitted free until 4 p.m. 7 a.m. — Gates open 8 a.m. — Junior fair office opens; junior fair dairy feeder/crossbred calf judging/showmanship, ½-hour break then start of market dairy steer judging/showmanship, main show arena 8:30 a.m. — Junior fair poultry/fowl judging/showmanship, poultry/rabbit show arena 9 a.m. — Fair office opens, speed office opens 10 a.m. — Open class flower show judging, merchants building 11 a.m. — Cloverbud recognition, entertainment tent Noon-4 p.m. — Hilty Home Care Center Kids Day activities, entertainment tent 1-4 p.m. — Children Choosing Christ, entertainment tent 1:30 p.m. — Kiddie tractor pull, grandstands 2 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 5 and 8 p.m. 3 p.m. — Bicycle giveaway, grandstands 4 p.m. — Kids Day free admission ends; junior fair beef feeder judging, ½-hour break and start breeding, market heifers, market beef steer judging/showmanship, main show arena 5 p.m. — Kids Day ride special ends; harness racing, grandstands 6 p.m. — Little Mister & Miss Putnam County Fair, entertainment tent 7 p.m. — Delicious Desserts challenge, merchants building; 4-H style review show, entertainment tent 9 p.m. — Fair office closes 11 p.m. — Fairgrounds close Wednesday 7 a.m. — Gates open 8 a.m. — Junior fair office opens; junior fair swine judging/showmanship, main show arena 8:30 a.m. — Junior fair rabbit judging/showmanship, poultry/rabbit show arena 9 a.m. — Fair office opens; speed office opens; horse/pony performance (ground roping through contest), horse show arena 3 p.m. — Horse/pony contesting, horse show arena 3:30 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 6 and 8:30 p.m. 5 p.m. — Harness racing, grandstand 7 p.m. — Best of Beef challenge, merchants building; feeder calf auction, Putnam County Extension Office; decorated animal contest, main show arena 8 p.m. — Barn games, main show arena 9 p.m. — Fair office closes 11 p.m. — Fairgrounds close Thursday Senior Citizens Day All seniors 62 and older admitted free all day 7 a.m. — Gates open 8 a.m. — Junior fair office opens; bred and fed swine show, main show arena 9 a.m. — Fair office opens 9 a.m.-1 p.m. — Senior activities, entertainment tent 10 a.m. — Open class flower show judging, merchants building 10 a.m.-1 p.m. — Music, entertainment tent 10:30 a.m. — Bred and fed beef show, main show arena 12:30 p.m. — Bred and fed lamb show, main show arena 1:30 p.m. — Bred and fed goat show, main show arena 3:30 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 6 and 8:30 p.m. 3:30-5:30 p.m. — Open class swine weigh-in 6 p.m. — Horse/pony versatility show 6:30 p.m. — Open class swine show, main show arena 7 p.m. — Heavenly Honey challenge, merchants building 8 p.m. — Concert by Hollywood Strip band, entertainment tent 9 p.m. — Fair office closes 11 p.m. — Fairgrounds close Friday 7 a.m. — Gates open 8 a.m. — Junior fair office opens; livestock sale, main show arena 3:30 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 6 and 8:30 p.m. 4-8 p.m. — Kid's Dream Day, racetrack 4:30 p.m. — Show of Showmen contest, main show arena 7 p.m. — Perfectly Prepared Pork challenge, merchants building; truck & tractor pulls, grandstands; adult horse show, horse arena 7:30 p.m. — Open class goat show, main show arena; T-102 Country Star Playoffs, entertainment tent 9 p.m. — Fair office closes Midnight - Fairgrounds close Saturday 7 a.m. — Gates open 9 a.m. — Fair office opens 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — Election of fair directors, area under grandstands 11 a.m. — Junior fair horse awards program, horse show arena; junior fair kids fun horse show, horse show arena Noon — Open class sheep show, main show arena; junior fair office opens 2 p.m. — Family Fun Circus, also at 5 and 8 p.m. 7 p.m. — Tasty Turkey challenge, merchant's building; demolition derby, grandstands; silent auction closes, junior fair building 9 p.m. — Fair office closes Midnight — Fair ends Sunday 8 a.m.-noon — Junior fair booth clean-up 9 a.m. — Fair office opens 9-10 a.m. — Buyer load out for feeder calves 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — Merchants building pickup/booth clean-up 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Animal load out and clean pens Noon — Fair office closes