A recurring thought kept entering the mind of the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair board president as he looked out over the fairgrounds during the first half of June.
“I just don’t see how we can possibly get everything ready on time,” fair board President Mark Case said.
But on the first official day of summer — on Friday — transformations began to prepare for this year’s fair July 5 through 13.
It’s always two weeks before opening day that volunteers buckle down and start working every night to complete all necessary fair preparations, Case said.
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“And suddenly, everything begins to fall into place,” he said.
With drier weather than the county has been experiencing so far, fair officials estimate the 62nd annual Bartholomew County 4-H Fair could attract up to 100,000 visitors during its run.
Grandstand events
One of the most popular attractions will be the United Mini Racing Association’s King of the TQ Midgets event that begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9.
Three-time NASCAR Cup series champ Tony Stewart, who retired as a professional driver in 2016, has indicated he will compete, Case said.
The race will be co-sponsored by the Tony Stewart Foundation, which serves critically ill or physically disabled children, endangered animals and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing, according to the foundation website.
Back for the second consecutive year will be the Full Throttle Monster Truck show at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12. This event features extremely large pickups with oversized tires racing each other while driving over and demolishing smaller vehicles.
Although both events are popular, the fair’s two demolition derbies still bring in the largest crowds, Case said. Both demolition events begin at 7 p.m. on the two Saturdays of the fair’s run.
A new grandstand attraction will feature a race involving members of the Columbus Speedway Go-Carts club at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 8. Other traditional and popular grandstand events include tractor pulls, a mud bog, and dirt drag racing.
While lauding the hard work of the entire fair board, Case describes the efforts of those who prepare for each grandstand event as exceptional.
“Our track guys work awfully hard days and some very long nights for the next event,” Case said.
Fair entertainment
A variety of live musical performances have been scheduled during the fair, including:
2016 Bartholomew County Fair Queen and American Pie soloist Bailey Meyer — 7 p.m. Friday, July 5, at the David Boll Theatre
Elvis imitator Ron Hobbs — 7 p.m. Saturday, July 6, at the Boll Theatre
Soft pop and rock musician Kendall Yeaton — 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Boll Theatre
Rock-N-Rich The Jukebox Hero Richard Coffey (performance for veterans) — 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Farm Bureau Building
Night Owl Country Band — 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12, at the Boll Theatre.
This will be the 10th consecutive year that the fair midway will be presented by Burton Brothers Amusements, which is headquartered east of Indianapolis in Henry County.
“They have consistently provided quality attractions, and have established a good relationship with the fair board,” Case said.
4-H competitors
For most of the approximately 800 local youngsters enrolled in 4-H, the fair provides a chance to showcase projects they’ve been working on since last fall, Purdue Extension Cooperative director Elisabeth Smith said.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t also attempt to entertain and possibly educate others during the fair, Smith said.
Some exhibits to be placed inside the fair’s Community Building are designed to be interactive with the public, Smith said. She describes this new approach by 4-H club members as “out-of-the-box” thinking inspired by exhibits at the Indiana State Fair.
On Kid’s Day (Wednesday, July 10), Smith is urging parents to bring their younger children to the Adventure Day Carnival. Several new games and attractions have been added to the two-hour event being held from 10 a.m. to noon in the David Boll Theatre.
Another event that attracts an enthusiastic audience is the Working Chute contest at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 in the 4-H Pavilion.
“The crowds really get into it,” said Case regarding the competition sponsored by the Bartholomew County FFA Alumni.
In an event reminiscent of a rodeo, teams made up of one adult 4-H alumni and two current club members will work three heads of cattle from a holding pen into a working chute and properly capture each animal’s neck in the head gate, according to the competition description.
After the cattle are caught, all team members must administer a range of health management products that include vaccinations and tagging the animal’s ear.
Eye on the future
One thing fair-goers won’t see this year is an extensive amount of new infrastructure around the fairgrounds. Fair board members are attempting to set aside revenue in order to fund extensive interior renovations at some of the larger buildings on the fairgrounds, Case said.
Since the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center closed in July, 2017, the community has been in need of large group meeting facilities, Case said.
The fair board has plans to update and modernize select facilities to make them suitable for events that attract both local groups and out-of-town visitors.
“There is definitely a need for more meeting and event space in Bartholomew County,” said Karen Niverson, Columbus Area Visitors Center executive director. “Anything the fairgrounds can do to make their space more versatile and helpful for those purposes will be helpful.”
A few of the initial planned upgrades include a new ceiling in the Family Arts Building, as well as replacing pegboard walls in the 4-H Pavilion, Case said.
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Friday, July 5 – All midway rides for a $20 wristband from 5 p.m. to closing.
Saturday, July 6 – Regular tickets from 5 to 8 p.m. After that, wristbands will be available.
Sunday, July 7 – $23 wristbands from 5 p.m. to closing.
Monday, July 8 – $1 per ride from 5 p.m. to closing.
Tuesday, July 9 – Midway closed from 2 to 4 p.m. to general public to allow those with physical or mental disabilities to ride free. Starting at 5 p.m, the public can get one free ride for a can of nonperishable food, or purchase a $23 wristband.
Wednesday, July 10 – Kids Day. $15 wristbands will provide unlimited rides from 1 to 10 p.m.
Thursday, July 11 – All midway rides for a $20 wristband from 5 p.m. to closing.
Friday, July 12 – Regular priced tickets from 5 to 8 p.m. $15 wristbands provide unlimited rides from 8 p.m. until midnight.
Saturday, July 13 – $20 wristbands provide unlimited rides from 5 to 10 p.m.
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Fairs were held near Seventh and Pearl streets that dated back to 1852, according to the Bartholomew County Historical Society.
In 1893, the Crump Driving Park, located at the northwestern edge of Columbus along the Flat Rock River, was used for harness races. Bordered between 10th and 13th streets, the east side of the driving park briefly became the fairgrounds around 1905.
The 25th St. Fairgrounds, which was where FairOaks Mall now stands, was the location of the Bartholomew County Fair beginning on July 4, 1910.
But as the city grew, complaints around the fairgrounds became widespread. Parked cars blocked the streets and driveways, and yards were littered with trash.
In the mid 1950s, the 4-H organization requested a number of changes. When a satisfactory mutual agreement could not be reached, the 4-H organization decided to establish a separate fairground in 1958 on State Road 11 and County Road 200 South.
Auto and motorcycle races continued to pull in crowds at the 25th St. facility during the 1960s, but the separation from the 4-H organization resulted in a loss of attendance. The races stopped in 1964, and all activities at the 25th St. Fairgrounds ceased by 1973.
With the exception of a few events in June, almost all fair activities are held at the fairgrounds south of Garden City.
Source: History of Bartholomew County, Volume II, 20th Century, 2003.
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For a complete schedule of fair events and other information about the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, visit bartholomewcountyfair.com/ and click on "Fair Week."
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