For more than a century, residents of Wayne County have been showcasing their work in the form of livestock, cooking, baking, sewing and hundreds of other exhibits and this year will be no exception.
The 2023 Wayne County Fair is set to run from Wednesday, July 26 through Sunday, July 30.
Prior to the actual start of the fair, a number of 4-H exhibits will be judged, including photography and clothing on Thursday, July 20.
Cats, dogs and household pets will be judged on Saturday, July 22.
The majority of the 4-H exhibits will be entered on Wednesday, July 26. There is no admission to the fair that day.
The 4-H/FFA and Open Class Horse Show begins at 8 a.m. and the 4-H Bucket Calf Show at 10:30 a.m. They will be followed by the 4-H/FFA Dairy Show at noon and the 4-H/FFA Sheep Show, 4-H/FA Goat Show at 4 p.m.
Throughout each day of the fair TJ Kenkins, Chainsaw Artist, will be located just east of the Ag Hall.
Presentation of Colors will be by Carroll American Legion Post 165 and Riley Haschke will sing the National Anthem at 7:15 p.m.
Doug Temme, President of the Wayne County Ag Society, will conduct opening ceremonies at that time.
L4 Livestock Ultimate Bullriding will provide entertainment on Thursday, July 27, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Midwest Rides will be on the midway Thursday through Sunday.
On Friday, July 28 the 4-H/FFA Swine and Beef shows will take place beginning at 8 and 9:30 a.m. respectively.
Throughout the day, the Kids Corn Pit will be open in the Kid Zone.
The weekly Chamber Coffee will be hosted by the Ag Society in the Beer Garden at 10 a.m.
Ventriloquist Kevin Horner will have presentations at 2, 4 and 7:30 p.m. in the 4-H Building.
Wildlife Encounters will be in the Kids Zone with presentations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Presentation of Colors will be by Winside Sons of the American Legion and the National Anthem sung by Journee Reeson at 5:45 p.m.
The 60th annual Free Barbecue is set to begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by the Pioneer Award and Oldest Farmer Award, Kilroy Award and Fair Person of the Year presentation in the grandstand.
The Outlaws Truck & Tractor Pull will be at the grandstand. The pull begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday's schedule includes the 4-H/FFA and Open Class Rabbit and Poultry Shows beginning at 8 a.m.; the Stan Nelsen Partner Pitch Tournamentat 10 a.m; a Cornhole Tournament at 11 a.m.; horseshoe pitching at 1 p.m. That Hypnotist Edward Wunder at 1, 3 and 5 p.m.
The 4-H Public Fashion Show will be held in the Expo Center at 5 p.m..
Presentation of Colors will be by the Winside American Legion and the National Anthem sung by Jaden Fuchs.
One of the highlights of the fair has traditionally been the Saturday night concert.
Performing at the fair on Saturday, July 29 will be Elvie Shane at 8 p.m., followed by Sawyer Brown at 9:30 p.m.
A native of small-town Kentucky, early touchstones like Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle and John Fogerty joined Wheelhouse Records' Elvie Shane's Gospel roots to form the bedrock of his taste - along with R&B classics like The Temptations and modern superstars like Eminem.
Shane has celebrated multiple milestones with his hit single "My Boy" topping the charts at Country Radio and being certified PLATINUM my RIAA.
Shane's picture-based lyrics and knack for storytelling have led to opening slots on the road with Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Brothers Osborne, Brooks & Dunn and Lady A, to name a few.
According to information provided by the group, "it's hard to know where to start when talking about Sawyer Brown.
"More than 5,400 shows and counting; more than a million miles behind them and still seeing the highway miles click by outside their bus window; 23 albums; more than 50 chart singles; CMA, ACM and CMT awards on the shelf."
When asked about what keeps him motivated, lead singer Mark Miller says, "It's playing the next show. Be grateful for where you've been and be excited about where you're going."
Information from the band notes "it would certainly be an understatement to say that Sawyer Brown has 'played show.' The band has earned its place as one of the premier live acts in music. The band began playing 275-300 nights a year for the first decade or more of its career - and has never come off the road. The band thrives on playing live."
"Live is where it all comes together for us," keyboardist Hobie Hubbard says. "The audience brings its own energy, we bring our own energy and the music - and the combination of all of that is what makes playing live so unique. It exists for that moment in time - you're either there, or you're not part of that moment. We're blessed to be able to be a part of those moments night after night."
This year's fair wraps up with the traditional Demolition Derby on Sunday, July 30 at 6 p.m.
Also on the schedule for Sunday are the Community Worship Service at 10 a.m., the Ag Olympics at noon; the Sweet Tooth Judging Contest at 12:30 p.m., 4-H/FFA Round Robin Showmanship event at 1:30 p.m.; the Barnyard Pedal Pull at 2 p.m.; and the release of exhibits at 3 p.m.
Presentation of Colors will be by the 189th Transportation Company and the National Anthem sung by Elayna Hoskinson. It will be followed by a flag retirement ceremony the Wayne AmVets.
Additional information and updates on the fair activities can be found at www.thewaynecountyfair.com
