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Hard Work and Planning Helps Langlade County Fair Come Together

July 21, 2016

Author:  
Craig Marx, Editor

Source:  
Antigo Times

Everyone’s favorite time of the summer is drawing near as the dedicated men and women of the County Fair Board and members of 4-H work to produce the Langlade County Fair. Held next week from Wednesday, July 27 through Sunday, July 31, the county fair is a culmination of hard work, set up, and planning that offers activities and exhibitions for all ages.

“I think one of the most important things to realize is that it is a fundraiser for 4-H,” fair coordinator Rhonda Klement said. “It is brought together and run by volunteers, a ten-member board, and myself. It wouldn’t be successful if all the volunteers didn’t come together to make it a truly community event.”

Klement is in her 12th year now as fair coordinator and works with vendors, entertainers, volunteers, and advertisers to help set up and promote the summer spectacle. With so many things that Klement and the board want to do and only half a week in which to pull them off, bringing the necessary resources together is a timely and complicated process.

Entertainment headliners for this year include the ever-popular Vic Ferrari, a variety band that has played the Langlade County Fair now for over 10 years, and also Six Appeal, an a cappella group that Klement said was brought back by particularly popular demand. Led West, a variety group from Wittenberg, takes to the midway on Friday. The fair also brings in Coyote Wild on Saturday night, a variety band hailing from Minnesota, along with the stylings of Cook and Belle twice on Sunday afternoon.

The fair highlights other acts throughout the daytime, including a hypnotist, T-Texas Terry’s rope show, and LYVE (Langlade [County] Youth Vocalists and Entertainers) song and dance troupe, Please check the full schedule at http://www.langladecountyfair.com/scheduleofevents.html for dates and times for all entertainment/grandstand events.

For those seeking the smell of fuel and flying dirt from the grandstand this year, the IRA Outlaw sprint cars will be racing on Friday night with the Action Auto demo derby following up on Saturday evening. The tractor pull, always a highlight of the fair experience, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening.

Children typically always enjoy the county fair, and this year both kids and adults can learn about agriculture interactively with the presence of the Spud Mobile, sponsored by the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetables Growers Association. Other opportunities for the youngsters include prizes and games sponsored by local law enforcement and the fire department along with bike giveaways at the sprint car races. Klement also mentioned a pending, special surprise scheduled for sometime during Saturday’s special family time (noon to 5 p.m.), but the author guaranteed secrecy.

Food and promotions highlight the nearly 80 vendors that can be found on both the midway and in the multi-purpose building. The midway will feature such treats as homemade soda and sweet corn this year, while the always present cold beer and cheese curds provided by local volunteers of the Lions, Elks, and Optimists clubs are available every night of the fair.

4-H, hosting over 5,000 exhibits, has numerous different animal categories for judging, show, and display to the public, including horses, cats, llamas/goats, swine, rabbits, beef, sheep, poultry, and dairy cattle/goats. Open to viewing for all ages, the 4-H organization and its hard-working members will have their animals on display in either the exhibition building, livestock pavilion, or the horse arena for the duration of the week.

The thrill seekers will also have their chance to impress as A & P Carnival will have over 30 rides to choose from. Wristbands are available for Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings for $20 at the gate. Unlike many county fairs in the state, there are still no gate fees or general admission rates. Parking and grandstand admission are the only venues that require a fee.

Alyssa Lucas was named “Fairest of the Fair,” a title that will make her a representative of Langlade County at the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Annual Convention this coming January and gives Lucas a chance to eventually be selected as a statewide fair ambassador. The seperate title of Langlade County Fair Queen/King, determined by pre-sales of grandstand and raffle tickets, will be announced for one lucky recipient at 5:30 p.m. on Friday in the multi-purpose building.

The county fair is always a great experience and a chance to hang out collectively with the community. For five days of the year, everyone in Langlade County knows where the place to be is located.


The livestock pavilion at the Langlade County Fairgrounds,
home to the judging of llamas/goats, swine, beef cattle,
sheep, and dairy cattle/goats.


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