Hancock County Fair offers old favorites, new attractions

FINDLAY — It won't be long until giant bags of cotton candy, sticky sweet caramel corn and deep-fried funnel cakes are tempting taste buds. Add in a few spinning rides and a game of chance, marvel at the biggest pumpkin, cheer for youngsters in the pedal pull and watch a bucking bronco — and you've got the makings for another blue ribbon Hancock County Fair. The annual event opens Tuesday and continues until Sept. 1. Move in day is today. The opening ceremony will also be held at 7 p.m. in the Old Mill Stream Centre. The extra day was added to ease the full Junior Fair show schedule as well as to alleviate pressure from the livestock sale and move out times for rides, concessions and vendors. The first full day of activities is Tuesday. This year's theme is "The Hancock County Fair is More Than Just a Fair — It's a Tradition." Daily hours are 7:30 a.m. when the gates open until the fairgrounds closes at 11 p.m. On Sept. 1, the fair will close at 5 p.m. A concert featuring country singers Julia Cole and Kenny Feidler will be held Aug. 30. Admission to the concert is free with paid gate admission. A native of Texas, Cole encourages empowering self-worth to her growing #ColeTeam community. As an independent artist who has never signed a record deal, Cole has amassed 500,000,000-plus streams and has over 2.5 million followers. Her musical style combines authentic country storytelling with a soulful vocal. She has toured globally in over 10 countries, opening for acts like Dan + Shay, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley and Kane Brown. Feidler and his band, Cowboy Killers, have played everything from local shows to big venues like Stagecoach, according to Western Life Today. They play what is considered alt western, combining hard rocking sound with true blue country music lyrics. The 7:30 p.m. concert will be held in the south grandstands. There will be a beer garden and food trucks. Other grandstand entertainment during the week will include the annual Hancock County Band Show, a bulls and barrels rodeo, two sessions of harness racing, calf scramble, KOI drag racing, draft horse and pony show, draft horse team pulls, the Hancock County Fair pull, a dodgeball tournament and demolition derby. Additional entertainment will be provided throughout the week at the Forest G. Hall Mini Park, located just north of the fair office; and at the gospel tent, located north of the mini park. Gospel music begins with an opening at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Performances will continue through Sunday. Wednesday is Veterans Day at the fair. Veterans will be admitted free with proper identification. The Hancock County Veterans Service Office is planning several activities including a veterans' recognition ceremony and dinner. During the fair, active-duty military service men and women will be admitted free daily with proper identification. Throughout the day, visitors can watch the judging of open class shows in the Grange Building. A baked goods auction begins at 5 p.m. Activities for youth and families will be held Tuesday through Aug. 31 in the Youth Pavilion. Family Fun with FCS (Family and Consumer Sciences) will explore various wellness and safety topics while participating in fun, interactive activities, while 4-H will share activities to demonstrate the wide variety of experiences the organization has to offer. Harness racing will be held Wednesday and Thursday in the South Grandstand. Senior Day is Thursday, and seniors will be admitted free with proper identification. Judging of canning and antiques is scheduled in the Grange Building. A new Antiques Road Show will debut. People can bring in items they want to know more about. There is a limit of three items per person, and the cost is $2 per piece. Experts will evaluate the items and tell the owners the approximate age and value. 4-H of Hancock County and Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County are teaming up to host a Lego home building contest. There will be three building sessions, each limited to 25 participants, and four age groups. Prizes and ribbons will be awarded to the winning homes in each of the age divisions including ages 5–6, 7–8, 9–10 and 11–12. The contest celebrates 25 years of Habitat's impact on the community. Friday events will include a special flower arranging competition at 2:30 p.m. which will pit professionals Kelly Musgrave-Andres, Carla Treadway and Kelly Ridge against one another. Each of the women have each been asked to do a special design so the audience can see different ways of arranging flowers. After the judging, the arrangements will be auctioned off, but will be kept at the fair until Aug. 31 for others to view. Koi Drag Racing eliminations are slated for 7 p.m. Friday in the south grandstand, while the Hancock County Barrel Battle begins at 8 p.m. in the north grandstand. There will also be a pedal pull and the Junior Fair goat obstacle course. The Brad Beach Memorial Square Dance will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday. Junior Fair members can compete in a beef obstacle course and the best dressed goat shows. A church service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Gospel Pavilion. There is a livestock judging contest at noon, the best dressed small animal contest at 2 and the Showman and Showmen competition at 4. Cloverbud graduation — a ceremony for the youngest 4-H members who will be old enough for the traditional program next year — will be held at 2 p.m. in the Old Mill Stream Centre. Fair-goers can also watch a goat milking contest and a cooking eating contest. The Ohio Celtic Fiddlers of County Knox will perform in the mini park. The Hancock County Fair Pull is slated for 6 p.m. in the south grandstand, while the Allen Kramp dodgeball tournament starts at 7 p.m. in the north grandstand. National Gospel music recording artist Abby Paskvan of Bowling Green will perform a 7 p.m. show Sunday at the Old Mill Stream Centre. The annual Junior Fair livestock sale begins with registration at 8 a.m. Monday. The sale starts at 9 in the NWO Arena. Fair admission tickets will be sold primarily online. Daily single admission is $10, which admits an adult and dependent members of their family ages 9 and younger. Admission is $5 for seniors age 65 and older, and youth ages 10-17. Children ages 9 and younger will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Prices include parking. Gates accepting cash for any fair ticket include the walk-in gate off East Sandusky Street, the McCleary Gate off Fishlock Avenue, and the South Grandstand gate. Presale adult season tickets are $30 plus processing fees, available through Monday online and at the fair office. After Monday, season tickets are available online only. Youth season tickets for ages 10-17 are $15 per youth, available online through 8 p.m. Monday. Event tickets include: KOI drag racing — $10, which admits an adult and dependent members of their family ages 9 and younger; demolition derby — $5 grandstand, which admits one adult and dependent members of their family ages 9 and younger; demolition derby pit pass — $15 per person; and the tractor pull — $10, which admits one adult and dependent members of their family ages 9 and younger. For the daily event schedule, visit https://www.hancockfairgrounds.org.