TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
This year’s Lincoln County Fair kicked off on Wednesday, August 11, and runs through Sunday, August 15. The theme for 2021 is: “These are the Good Ole Days!” and incorporates the colors red, green, and black, which you’ll also see reflected in a large display of antique to modern tractors on the grounds.
Something new at the Fair this year: Two escape rooms, one on either end of the grounds, showcasing one of the latest trends in entertainment for groups of friends who want a challenge that doesn’t involve being lifted off the ground and spun in circles, will be on site and available for fun Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The refurbishing and updating of the big barn was completed by the City and now features more fans for ventilation and looks great. Now filled with animals, it’s also where the meat animal sale will take place Friday night, so come on out and bid on some beef or pork on the hoof.
The Lincoln County Fair, while a great time for food, fun, friends, games, and rides, is also an important part of Merrill’s economy and serves as a big fundraiser for many area organizations, like the Optimist Club selling their cheese curds or St. Francis Xavier Church operating their “Snack Shack,” for example. The Merrill VFW 1638 and Eagles 584 will have their beer garden between the stands with adult beverages and live music every evening, and that entertainment makes for a good time and a great fundraiser, as well.
Hundreds of volunteers work together, from the Fair Board members who do the planning, to those who man the stands, cook the food, bake the pies, pour the beer, park the cars, and clean up afterward – all to make this annual event a success and draw people from and to Merrill for a great time and a chance to come to our city.
The Fair teaches responsibility and life skills to kids in 4-H who raise, care for, show, and sometimes sell their animals at the County Fair, which takes months in some cases and is a year-round commitment in others. Other 4-H’ers and open exhibitors alike, spend weeks and months preparing their entries for the County Fair in the hopes of bringing home a blue ribbon recognizing their talents, skills, and artistry.
Whether your favorite thing about the Fair is cotton candy on a stick and a ride on the carousel or screaming and cheering at the Demo Derby and soothing your throat with a cold brew in the tent after the event, don’t forget to get out and enjoy the 2021 Lincoln County Fair. It only comes once a year!
Music, tractor pulls, monster trucks, dancing, animals, carnival rides, food and drink, ice cream, cheese curds, exhibits, escape rooms, demo derbies, vendors, meeting up with friends, and more. After missing this annual event in 2020, chances are more people won’t take it for granted in the same way this week as they might have in the past, and with a forecast for sunshine and pleasant summer temperatures, it’s bound to be a good time for all.
Come on out and enjoy it. Because “These are the Good Ole Days!”