SIDNEY — Children received free admission to the Shelby County Fair on Thursday, July 26, in celebration of Kids Day.
Hundreds of children and their families filled the free entertainment tent at the fairgrounds for the Kids Day program at noon Thursday.
According to fair board member Tim Everett, this is the 25th year that the program has been held at the fair.
Each child in attendance was given a raffle ticket, which was entered into a drawing to win one of the many prizes presented on the stage. Prizes included jump ropes, hula hoops, water guns, an artificial tattoo set, sidewalk chalk, basketballs, Nerf guns, backyard game sets, fishing games, and Barbies, among other things.
Board member Cathy Platfoot opened the program by addressing the children.
“Mike (Hoelscher) has just informed me Kids Day has been canceled,” she said, jokingly, which elicited a unified groan from the crowd.
Of course, the show went on, and for the next hour, fair board members passed out toys to each raffle winner.
According to member Mitch Brautigam, raffle tickets were given to 292 boys and 260 girls.
Member Mike Hoelscher took to the stage to announce winning raffle numbers, first thanking sponsors for making the 2018 Kids Day possible.
These sponsors included Walmart, Wendy’s of Sidney and Anna, Buckeye Ford, and Firehouse Subs.
The children waited patiently, and some anxiously, in the hopes that their number would be drawn.
Ten-year-old Averi Werling, daughter of Matt and Heather Werling, of Anna, could not hide her enthusiasm when her ticket was drawn. She let out a squeal and ran to the stage to claim her prize, which was a multi-color chalk set.
“I was excited,” she said.
Within the next few minutes, both of Averi’s friends, sitting on either side of her, had their tickets drawn as well.
Jazzy McMillen, 10, daughter of Julie and Scott McMillen, of Sidney, and Reagan Oswalt, 9, daughter of Juli Hamblet and Wes Oswalt, of Sidney, won a hula hoop and a pack of water guns, respectively.
After all of the toy prizes were given out, the raffle tickets were entered again into a drawing for one of eight bicycles. Four girls and four boys received a grand prize bike.
A kiddie tractor pull took place later in the day, as well as nature crafts, the Dino Roar show, and the ninja warrior practice and competition. The truck and tractor pulls were held Thursday evening in the grandstand.
Also on Thursday was a performance by Shelby County Line in the free entertainment tent.
Thursday at the junior fair included the English and versatility horse show, the cloverbud sharing display, general livestock judging contest, the breeding sheep show and pen of two, the meat goat showmanship, the boer crossbreeding show, and the market goat show.
The junior fair livestock sales will be held Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28, at 10 a.m.
Friday’s sale will consist of ducks, chickens, cattle, goats, turkeys, and lambs, and Saturday’s will include rabbits, hogs, and the gallon of milk auction.
Also on Friday, the draft horse show is scheduled for 9 a.m. at gate D, and a beef cookout will take place at 10 a.m. behind the Kend Feeds Arena I. Nature crafts will be held at 3 and 7 p.m. in the Community Foundation Hall, and the Dino Roar show is scheduled for 5, 7, and 9 p.m.
The ninja warrior practice and competition is set to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, next to the gazebo, followed by the pig and calf scramble at 8 p.m., in the grandstand. There is a $2 charge to attend the scramble.
“We’ve got about 100 (kids) signed up for the scramble already,” Everett said. “It’s three to seven year olds, and we release chickens for them to chase around. It’s a fun time.”
The band Karma’s Pawn will finish the night off Friday, playing from 7 to 10 p.m. in the free entertainment tent.
Madison Snider showed the grand champion market gilt at Wednesday’s market gilt show, with Katie Egbert showing the reserve champion.
Megan Argabright showed the grand champion barrow at the market barrow show on Wednesday, and Jacob Fogt showed the reserve champion.
At the meat pen of ducks show, Bailey Althauser was named grand champion and Bethany Althauser was named reserve champion.
The final horse show is set for Friday morning at 9 a.m. Participants will be judged on showmanship, horsemanship, pleasure riding, driving, and roping. Barnyard olympics will take place Friday at 4 p.m. in the Kent Feeds Arena II.
Saturday, July 28, is the last day of the 2018 Shelby County Fair. Events will include the livestock sale in the Kent Feeds Arena I, followed by the dog show at 1 p.m. in the youth building, and finally, the showman of showmen competition at 3 p.m. in the Kent Feeds Arena I.
