Staff writer
After preliminary events over the past few days, the 85th annual Marion County Fair begins today in earnest at the fairgrounds in Hillsboro.
Fair manager Kelli Savage said preparations had gone smoothly and it was time for the fun to begin.
“There’s going to be constant activity in every one of these buildings the rest of the week,” she said.
While the schedule for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday should remain similar to what it has been in recent years, the fair board has continued to work changes into the Saturday lineup, Savage said.
“Last year was the first time we made that our Family Fun Day,” Savage said. “We’ve kept those changes and are kind of adding to them.”
Among the changes will be the addition of mechanical bull rides, a dodgeball tournament, and “the possibility of” a petting zoo, Savage said.
A celebrity goat-milking contest will be renewed for a second year. A Wet ‘N’ Wild water slide will again be operated by Lincolnville Fire Department.
A parade will again go through downtown Saturday, with the theme “Blue Jeans and Country Dreams”
The fair’s finale will be a demolition derby beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday.