Fair Returning July 11-17The Kosciusko County Community Fair is back on this year after shutting down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jeanette Wood, general manager of the fair, said fair week will be July 11-17, with opening ceremonies and a parade taking place on the 11th.
“The fair officially opens that Monday, the 12th,” Wood said.
Attendees can expect to see the fair back how it was before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the country down in 2020, including rides, food vendors and events.
“We’ve heard officially from our ride company it’s a go,” Wood said. “Barring we don’t have our country shut down again. We are extremely, extremely excited to be back.”
Wood said the rodeo is planned for July 12; monster trucks, July 13; harness racing, July 14; July 15, events are to be announced; the demolition derby, July 16; and the truck and tractor pull is July 17.
The harness horse racing event is new to the fair this year, she said, after the fair board decided to check it out and found there’s quite a following for the sport.
More details can be found on the fair’s Facebook Page as the fair gets closer, Wood said, and anyone who would like to suggest this fair’s theme is welcome to do so during the annual theme contest taking place on Facebook.
“We will follow all federal and state guidelines, and safety is our top priority,” Wood said.
The 4-H animal part of the fair is still being planned through the Kosciusko County Purdue Extension Office, but what that will look like will become more clear as the time gets closer.
Other annual events are set to kick back off this summer as well, including the seventh annual Rockin’ Barbecue Cooking Competition.
The competition features professional barbecue cooks that come from all over the country to Kosciusko County to participate.
The annual Rib Burn will be May 14, with the Master’s Series Four-Meat Cookoff May 15-16, Wood said.
She said there have been teams from 14 states that have come to Warsaw for the annual event before, including one from Canada, and she just got a call from a team that’s going to come from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
On March 12, companies can support the fair by ordering a barbecue lunch for their employees. The annual fundraiser put on by the fair serves up barbecue prepared by local Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) cooks.
Cost is $10 per meal and includes a pulled pork sandwich, cowboy beans and coleslaw, or $10 per pound of pulled pork.
Tickets are available at the fair office, online at www.kcfair.com or by calling 574-269-1823 and placing an order by March 10.
For those who just want to get a meal, carry-out and dine-in options are available March 13 at the fairgrounds. Meal and prices are the same as company carry-outs the day before. Carry-out will be from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., with dine-in available from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
The fair has been doing this fundraiser for at least three years, Wood said, and it brings in “thousands” to help the fair operate.
One event that is still up in the air is the annual Easter egg hunt. Wood said that event typically brings in 2,000 to 2,500 children, who also are accompanied by at least one adult.
“That’s a lot of people, so we’re looking at if we should do it or if we could even do it safely,” Wood said. “The last thing we want to do is have anyone get sick, so it’s still to be determined at this point.”
