It’s opening day at the Mercer County Fair. The fair board worked overtime to get the most out of the fair this year, and the schedule is filled with many traditional fair activities.
Every county fair board in Ohio had the challenge of following Governor DeWine’s mandates in order to open their gates for the fair. The president of the Mercer County Fairboard, Ryan Fenning, says that they’re already working on next year's fair, so making final decisions just weeks before the fair this year wasn’t easy.
“It’s been a process, it’s been a stressful process, but at the end of the day, our community is behind us and supports us and we’re thankful for that," says Fenning. "We’re happy that we’re able to provide a 2020 fair for Mercer County.”
Junior fair exhibitors were spotted all around the grounds taking care of their animals and presenting them in shows. For some, the junior fair plays a big role in their life.
Alicia Knapke has been competing in the fair for the past 10 years. To end her junior fair career, she’s walking the fair as the 2020 Mercer County Fair Queen.
Knapke says, “Just being able to be queen and still have my steers, and just being able to do this during our current situation, I’ve come to appreciate it all, so it’s going to be a bittersweet moment at the end.”
Although attention was steered toward the junior fair this year, there were over 15 food vendors and many activities to check out.
To find the full schedule of events for the Mercer County Fair, head to https://mercercountyohiofair.com/.
