TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
It’s Fair week! This year’s Lincoln County Fair is being held at the 22-acre Merrill Festival Grounds (formerly known as the Lincoln County Fairgrounds) from Wednesday, August 17, through Sunday, August 21, 2022. This year’s theme is “Moovin’ on with Tradition.”
Whether you come for the carnival rides, to see the 4-H exhibits and judging, the livestock and animals in the barns, or for the infamous fair food, this annual event is always a great place to meet up with family and friends to enjoy–or start–an annual tradition.
Spectrum Carnival, a family owned business based out of Bessemer, Mich., will provide the rides and some of the food stands, but many of the food vendors will be local non-profit organizations who rely on the Fair to raise funds for their organization’s mission. St. Francis Snack Shack will be back, along with the other permanent stands operated by community volunteers from churches and civic organizations, and of course, the Optimists Cheese Curd stand, a Wisconsin fair food staple, will be there frying up their Wisconsin cheese curds for the crowds.
The Lincoln County Fair is the place to be for fun activities like the free horse show (Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.), butter carving contests (youth Thursday at 3:30 p.m./adults Friday and Saturday at 3:30 p.m.), the James Wedgwood ventriloquist show (multiple shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), the Demo Derby (Friday at 6:30 p.m.), the 4-H Dog Show (Saturday at 8:00 a.m. with cats, small animals, and domesticated exotic animal judging afterward throughout the day), the Antique Tractor Pull (Saturday at 11:00 a.m.), regular Tractor Pull (Saturday at 6:00 p.m.), Festive Balloons (Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m.), and the Mud Bogs/Drags (Sunday with time still to be determined as of press time).
Live bands will play every evening in the Entertainment Tent and the Eagles/VFW Tent, as well. And while SOME of the individual Grand Stand events may have an admission charge, the Lincoln County Fair is still a 4-H based, FREE fair, with no cover or admission charge to get in the gates.
Youth in local 4-H clubs and open exhibitors (the general public) will enter their projects in categories ranging from photography, woodworking, baking, and knitting to field crops and flowers/houseplants, all in competition for the coveted blue ribbon. Small animals and livestock–rabbits, ducks, chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, cows, and horses–will be judged in the barns. Fair attendees can walk through the barns and outbuildings to see them all.
Commercial booths, educational exhibits, and farm equipment will also be on display on the grounds and in some of the buildings.
The Lincoln County Fair is estimated to draw 30,000 people over the course of the five-day Fair, and is made possible in large part due to the many corporate sponsors that support the Fair and the many volunteers who make up the Lincoln County Fair Association. Support from Agra Industries, Brickners Park City, Church Mutual, Nicolet Bank, RockAuto.com, the 4-H Leaders Association, Ronald Piffl Optometry, Weinbrenner Shoe Company, Pepsi, Park City Credit Union, Kwik Trip, Lincoln Windows, Pine Ridge Central Businesses, Mid-Wisconsin Beverage, Duwayne Kreager Insurance Agency, Merrill Veterinary Clinic, Reindl Printing, Oak Park Dental, and Courtside Furniture.