LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - At the Allen County Fair, there's plenty of free entertainment for families to enjoy across the fairgrounds.
Over at Roschman Park, the Jungle Island Zoo is open from noon to 9 PM every day of the fair. This has been a fair staple for over 20 years, and kids can pet and feed anything from camels to porcupines.
"We do feedings, we do pictures," said Allison Osting with the Jungle Island Zoo. "In the baby encounter, we have kunekune pigs, camels, porcupines, hedgehogs, sheep, goats, miniature zebu, llamas, alpacas, tortoises, all kinds of stuff."
And the kids always enjoy seeing these wild animals up close:
"They love it; they instantly run right over to the baby pen or to the pigs or the camel, they just go crazy and they don't want to leave," Osting said.
Also at Roschman Park, the K9s in Flight perform fast-paced tricks, stunts, and vaults. These rescue dogs perform through the week with shows running daily at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30.
Right around the corner, the Bear Hollow Wood Carvers are doing live demonstrations daily at noon, 3, 5:30, and 8. Their carvings will be auctioned off Saturday, August 23rd at 2:30, raising money for the fair's 4-H scholarship program.
"In the past several years, we've raised over $20,000 plus with the wood carver auctions held here at the plaza stage," said Brock Ackerman, Allen County Fair board director.
And at the Nutrien Plaza stage, the Circus Man is performing at 1, 3, and 5 pm through Friday, and 1pm, 4:30 PM, and 6 PM on Saturday. His show combines juggling, daring stunts of balance, and audience participants, all with a touch of comedy.
With all these shows and more, organizers say it's a way to give families more for their money. And while you're at the fair, make sure to take a walk around the 4-H barns and check out the projects kids have been working hard on.
"Everything's expensive these days, and we try to give you the best bang for your buck when you come out to the fair and see free entertainment, along with the kids livestock projects, the 4-H buildings, up north the special interest projects, it's huge," said Ackerman. "It's free and it just shows the hard work and dedication that these 4-H kids have in their projects."
