Dickinson County Fair aims for week full of family fun

It won't be long until the Dickinson County Fairgrounds are bustling with the sights and sounds fowl, foals, calves and kids. And though county fairs often conjure images of traditional agriculture for many, fair organizers said local youth programming has expanded beyond just the traditional animal shows and home-crafts.

"The public can see that 4-H is not just the annuals and the agriculture," said Noel Petersen, youth coordinator with the local Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. "It extends out a lot more, and it provides different opportunities for children that have their strengths in different things, because not everybody loves to work with animals."

The Dickinson County Fair will run July 14-20. Admission to the fair is free all week, and multiple events are planned each day in addition to this year's static exhibits.

The first few events of the 2023 fair will focus on animals — the familiar domestic types.

The fair schedule will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 14 with the Clover Kids Pet Show in the indoor arena, which will be followed by a pet show for other age groups and a dog show at 6 p.m. — all in the same arena. Petersen said some of the animals will be exhibited while in costume this year.

Young exhibitors will then hop to it at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 15 for the rabbit show in the indoor arena, and the Clover Kids will return for their poultry and rabbit show at approximately noon that day. The static exhibit building will also be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 15-18 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 19. Saturday's second poultry show is expected to take place around 12:30 p.m. that day.

Saturday evening will mark the fair's second annual Family Fun Night, which organizers said is expected to be notably larger than the inaugural event. The public can participate in the evening's fun at no charge — food will be available for purchase.

"It's a great opportunity, since it starts that first Saturday, to show them what we've got going on and maybe encourage them to come back and check out more," Petersen said.

The night will feature games, live music, food trucks, animal meet-and-greets and the return of Touch-A-Truck. The public can climb into the seat of a variety of large machinery — anything from farm implements to construction equipment and fire engines — rather than simply viewing them from behind a field fence, the other side of an emergency barricade or through the chain link of a construction site.

"You can see the mechanical stuff and, if you go underneath, you can see how everything works, because it's up close and personal," Petersen said.

She also said the night offers fair participants time away from the stress and strain of preparations for the week's competitive events.

"I think it's more of getting everybody out as a family and a group," Petersen said. "It's not just about showing animals or that we have to be at this static building on time. It's more of a relaxing time for families to be together before they have to start getting ready for shows and all the stress that comes with those kinds of things."

Families visiting the fair that night can also take in the Open Jackpot Barrel Race at 5 p.m. in the fairgrounds' outdoor arena.

Sunday morning will begin with Cowboy Church at 7:30 a.m. in the outdoor arena, and be followed by the horse show at 9 a.m. The Dickinson County Fair Antique Tractor Ride will take place from 2-5 p.m. that day  and the Fair Board Steak Dinner and Concert, played by The Senders, will be held from 5-7 p.m. in the Expo Center. The 2023 Dickinson County Fair Queen will be crowned inside the Expo Center at 6 p.m., and 4-H students will test their might at 7 p.m. during the tug of war contest in the outdoor arena.

Competition will move back to the indoor arena Monday morning, with the sheep show taking place at 8 a.m. — the Clover Kids will show their sheep following that contest. The indoor arena will then transition to the goat show at 10 a.m. that day. The evening will once again host a meal as the Pork Producer Dinner takes place from 5-7 p.m. in the Expo Center. Attendees can get themselves a bit of dessert without leaving their seats come 7 p.m. as they bid on the pie and bucket of junk auction.

In addition to tasty pies, organizers will be auctioning off sculptures created by students. Each young artist welded or otherwise crafted a bucket of metal components into a stylish piece of art. Petersen said she has seen incredible creative skills displayed at the auction. She indicated it's another example of how fair participants can try their hand at skills outside the animal pens.

"In the past, traditionally, 4-H has been cows, chickens — not that there's anything wrong with that — but now they're doing digital photography and doing science, technology and engineering," she said.

Tuesday will begin with a trio of beef shows. The Beef Buddies will show their animals at 8 a.m. that day, with the Clover Kids to follow and the general beef scheduled at 8:30 a.m.

The Okoboji FFA Lunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day in the indoor arena, and the Beef Producer Dinner will take place from 5-7 p.m. in the Expo Center.

That night will also feature the Farm Chore Olympics at 7 p.m. in the outdoor arena. Participants will put their speed and skill to the test as they complete mock versions of various farm activities. While the Farm Chore Olympics are somewhat in jest, Petersen said the real-world experience of the actual day-to-day chores and responsibilities which go into exhibiting at the fair help prepare young participants for later in life.

"They develop a work ethic that they can carry on from doing this out to their regular lives, when they're out on their own and realize it's important to work hard to meet your goals," Petersen said. "Work ethic is so important. It doesn't matter if you're a plumber or working on Wall Street. You've got to get up and go to work and this kind of stuff, if they start young and realize the importance of working hard, it'll just translate into school — into anything."

The pens will open once more Wednesday, July 19 as the swine show gets underway at 8 a.m. in the indoor arena.

Youngsters in several age groups will then have their chance to put their strength on display during the pedal tractor pull from 1-2 p.m. in the Expo Center. The pull will be followed by the fair's Overall Showmanship Contest from 2-4 p.m. in the indoor arena, and the day's fashion showcase is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in the Expo Center. Fashion will then give way to the communications showcase, which will take place at 5 p.m. in the Expo Center, and the Fair Awards Program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Expo Center.

The final event that night will be the Youth Council Pizza Fundraiser at 6 p.m. in the Expo Center. And visitors can return for more fair fare at 6:30 a.m. Thursday for a pancake breakfast in the indoor arena — the breakfast will run until 8 a.m.

Sales of the 4-H and FFA livestock will take place in the arena following the breakfast.