Explore Marshfield – CWSF – Animals at the Fair
It wouldn’t be the Central Wisconsin State Fair without the sounds of mooing, oinking, baa-ing, and clucking! Animals have always been a key element of fair festivities, and this year is no exception.
The Fair week consists of two shows, with the first being the Jr Fair show (Tuesday through Friday) highlighting the projects of the youth in 4H, FFA and other Wood County based youth groups. The second show is Open Class for the animals, which come in Friday evening and stay through Monday.
“Open class is for any age and from anywhere, so we have exhibitors from all over the state and beyond,” said Larry Gilbertson, Fair Board President. “All compete in friendly competition to see who the judge rules as best of the best.”
He added that there are events where the animals are judged against the standards that have been set for the particular species and the breed within the species, and there are events where the person showing the animal is judged for proper showmanship.
With so many varied events for fair visitors to attend, there is always something new to explore each year. Fun events such as the Dress A Cow Competition on Thursday evening at 6 pm or the Little Britches Dairy showmanship for kids 4 – 8 years old on Monday at Noon are especially popular.
Gilbertson said that showing off the animals to their urban neighbors gives the Fair visitors a chance to connect with the people who make their livelihood from agriculture, or the hobbyist with some backyard critters who raises and keeps them for personal pleasure or home grown food for the table (such as someone keeping chickens for their morning breakfast eggs).
Entries are still being accepted for open class, but as usual, the dairy show on the weekend will have the most animals with around 400 dairy cattle on the grounds.
“We have a large assortment of animals with good numbers during the fair featuring dairy, beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, draft horses, riding horses, and the less common like llamas, alpacas, a dog show, cats, and have had small pets as gerbils, or a pet rat,” said Gilbertson. “Some of these exhibits are only certain days, so a visitor should consult the fair schedule.”
Though enjoyable to show animals or visit them at the Fair, their presence there is also a great opportunity to experience and learn more about Wisconsin’s all-important agriculture industry.
“Agriculture is important to all of us, and with fewer people living and earning their living from agriculture, it is important that those of us not from ‘the Farm’ experience being around livestock and the people who care for them,” said Gilbertson. “The Fair is a great opportunity to see all these varied animal exhibits, visit with the owners who love to talk about what they do, and maybe pet a cow or or feel the fiber on a llama. This, along with all the other projects to see, and fun things to do, like the food, carnival, and the entertainment shows, the Fair offers a complete learning and entertainment experience everyday of the Fair.”
The Central Wisconsin State Fair begins August 31 and runs through Labor Day.
