By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
From main events to special activities and animals to exhibitors, the 150th Wood County Fair is shaping up to be a noteworthy celebration.
Nearly 6,000 projects and almost 900 exhibitors are registered for this year’s fair, July 30-Aug. 6. At Thursday night’s Fair Board meeting, members heard that the number of projects entered is about a third higher than last year and the space for exhibitors is at capacity.
“People are excited about the 150th fair,” said Fair Manager Laura Westgate. She said the ability to register online this year was well received and likely contributed to the interest in registering. The 150th Wood County Fair Family Reunion celebration reception will be held Sunday, July 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Pavilion conference room. Past Wood County Fair kings and queens will be recognized during the reception and as part of the Junior Fair Parade.
In addition to the main attractions this year—the Aug. 4 Craig Morgan-Easton Corbin country music concert, two nights of demolition derbies and a mini rod/truck pull—Fair Director Jessica Nagel listed some of the other special activities for children, families and other fairgoers. Some of the activities include Barn Games such as sack races and bubble blowing at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 in the Pavilion; STEM Day with hands-on activities to learn about science, technology, engineering and math on Wednesday, Aug. 2 in the Free Tent; Youth Floral Challenge for youth ages 5-18 at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4 in the Home and Garden Building, sponsored by Penta Career Center; three bake goods sales: baked goods auction Monday, July 31 at 5 p.m. in the Home and Garden Building, 4-H Bake-Off auction at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4 in the Pavilion conference room, and the pie and cheesecake auction at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5 in the Pavilion conference room.
Nagel also announced that Story Time will be held every weekday of the fair at 2 p.m. in the Elephant Ear patio area, hosted by Sylvan Learning. Seven selfie stations will be placed around the fairgrounds for fairgoers to take selfies and share on social media using the hashtag #150thWoodCountyFair.
Also at the board meeting, members discussed some of the fees charged by the fair, including rental fees for buildings and grounds, storage fees for times other than the fall-winter storage season, and camping fees.
Nagel asked if they should consider a tiered rental fee for using the fairgrounds. Other fairs charge different amounts based on the type of group renting, such as the general public, nonprofit organizations and fair-related groups.
Another option suggested is to charge an additional fee for high electricity use or when a group needs to use a building and grounds. There was no vote taken.
A proposal to increase camping fees by $25 for 2024 was sent back to the camping committee after committee chair Brock Abke said the proposal should have been brought to the committee for discussion rather than mentioned for action at the board meeting. The committee will plan to meet and make a recommendation before the start of the fair on July 30.
