As the Howard County Fair celebrates its 64th season this year, it still puts the emphasis on farming and a simpler way of life.
"We strive very hard to maintain our agricultural roots," said H. Mitchell Day, fair association president. "Children born here now don't have as much opportunity to know about farming firsthand."
At the fair, which started Saturday and continues through this coming Saturday, there will be a wealth of shows with horses, ponies, sheep, rabbits, cattle, mules, swine and goats, as well as dogs and other pets. Animals, obviously, rule the day.
For those interested in the preparation and consumption of food, a pie-eating contest, 4-H baked goods auction and Iron Chef Competition, featuring contestants from Atholton, Hammond, Marriotts Ridge and Mount Hebron high schools, will fill the bill.
The usual contests to find the prettiest babies as well as Miss Howard County Farm Bureau will be held. Nightly musical entertainment will include country, rock and bluegrass. Parades will open and close the fair.
In other words, planners have crammed this year's schedule with all the events and activities that fairgoers have come to expect.
While the lack of change is the fair's real charm, this year there have been a few modifications made to the familiar site off Interstate 70 and a few new festivities added to the time-honored mix of fun and learning.
The Home Arts Building recently got a new ceiling, lighting and air conditioning, but "we were tempted at first to just put up a whole new building," Day said. "We decided we wanted to maintain the old character of the original structures."
Giving directions to fairgoers has historically been tough, he continued, until the association hit on the idea of naming the roads. There are Midway Boulevard, Exhibitor's Lane and Bridle Path, to name a few. Maps and brochures will reflect these changes.
Association members turned to one of the oldest of group activities for one of their "new" offerings when they twice included an old-fashioned tug of war as part of the nighttime festivities, said Day.
Participants in the first round on Wednesday will be members of the public safety professions, from police officers to firefighters to sheriff's deputies. On Thursday, regular folks are encouraged to take part.
And yes, there will be an oversized muddy ditch to motivate everyone to pull with all the brute strength they can muster. Teams are limited to 16 members and can't exceed a total of 1,800 pounds.
