Big changes, including a June start and a new midway vendor, are coming to the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair in 2021.
Two years from now, the midway will open at the fairgrounds south of Garden City on Thursday, June 24, 2021, fair board president Mark Case said. All other activities, including 4-H exhibits and competitions, will get underway on Friday, June 25, 2021 with the final day on Saturday, July 3, 2021, he said.
The fair dates will be moved up in order to accommodate a new midway vendor.
The fair board’s contract with Burton Brothers Amusements, which has provided the midway attractions since 2009, will expire after next year’s fair, which will be from July 10 through the 18th, Case said.
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“The fair board just thought it was time for a change,” the fair board president said.
While making inquiries and seeking recommendations, a number of fair board members received positive assessments about Kissel Entertainment, headquartered northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio, Case said.
Kissel operates in several states including Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, as well as Ohio and Indiana, according to its website.
The company describes itself online as a “traveling amusement park.” One ride is the Cyclone Roller Coaster, which looks much like a conventional roller coaster “with sudden drops and hairpin turns.”
Fair representatives traveled out of town to visit three different events featuring Kissel midways, Case said. After those representatives reported to the entire 21-member fair board about what they discovered, the vote to hire the Ohio amusement company was nearly unanimous, he said.
But the only open date Kissel had on their 2021 calendar that was acceptable to local fair officials was June 24 through July 3, he said.
Since it is unusual to open the midway one day before the fair officially opens, Case said he anticipates special promotions that may include price discounts, he said.
While Kissel has many of the same attractions provided by Burton Brothers, the fair board president says they also have rides never available before at previous Bartholomew County fairs, he said.
“There’s this one ride that goes far into the air that the older kids are going to love,” Case said.
A number of volunteers are delighted the event will conclude before Independence Day, so they can attend 4th of July celebrations without worrying about fair-related responsibilities and deadlines, Case said.
And while Indiana weather may be unpredictable, moving up the fair by a few weeks may improved the chances of milder temperatures, he said.
But not all the reaction has been positive, Case said.
For example, board members have heard concerns that less time to make preparations will result in more stress for those associated with the fair.
“And then, some people just don’t like change,” Case said. “But you are never going to please everybody. Right or wrong, the board has to do what they feel is best for the fair.”
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Upcoming dates for the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair
- 2020 – July 10 through 18.
- 2021 – June 24 through July 3
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