‘A Tradition Worth Keeping’
Baraga County Fair lives on
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PELKIE -- The year 1941 was surely a memorable one. It was when the US entered World War II and also when many things that are still around today -- M&MS, Cheerios and styrofoam -- were first introduced. 1941 was also the first year of the Baraga County fair. The theme of this year’s fair, which concluded Sunday, was “A Tradition Worth Keeping,” and those behind the fair are doing everything they can to live up to that theme.
The Baraga County Fair in Pelkie kicked off on Friday, with many of the main events taking place on Saturday -- the Youth Livestock Show, Auction and the Mud Bog.
While the thinning Baraga County Fair Board is currently looking for extra help for future fairs, Still Exhibit Coordinator Stacy LaCroax said the event is still celebrated by people of all ages. "I think it's for everyone in the sense the older people are trying to get the younger people to grasp that farming sense of life from back in the day," she said. "The older ones come out to watch their family ride horses or there’s the 4-H kids with their cows."
The Youth Livestock Show kicked off at 10 a.m. The biggest competitions, the market hog and steer categories, were judged first. Large Animal Livestock Director Dustin Grentz said the kids who learn how to raise these animals are proud to show them off at the county fair. "They’ve got to go through and do the work all year long and now they get to go out and show what they’ve learned or how they’ve trained their animal by how it behaves and walks," he said. "But there’s always a couple of surprises. They never quite behave the same here as they do at home."
In the market hog category, Joelle Grentz took home first prize. Katrian Grentz received the reserve prize and Nathanael Grentz placed third. The market steer competition had four entries. Jacstin Grentz placed first with his black cow. Elise Grentz won the reserve honors and Samuel Grentz placed third.
The Youth English/Jumping Pleasure Horse Show saw riders show off their horses by trotting around the pen or making them jump over barriers. Freedom Reins Horse Club President Laura Mathieu said the pleasure shows give the kids something to look forward to when they are taking care of their horses. "We have some kids who have been doing this since they were like three-year-old," she said. "Many of them come in with little to no experience. And over the years you can watch the improvement the kids make."
Another event Saturday was the Mud Bog. Participants tried to take their vehicles are far as they could in the mud. The one who made it the farthest was declared the winner. Mud Bog Organizer Joe Kaster said the Mud Bog is a good adrenaline rush for both the driver and the audience. "If you don't break anything, that's a good day," he said.
Although organizers said there were fewer people involved in the fair than in previous years, the new fair board is looking forward to next year. LaCroax said bringing people together is the goal of the fair.
"A fair is a good way to learn [new things] because there's going to be someone who knows how to grow tomatoes, someone that knows stuff about cows; if you're into pigs, you can talk to pig people," she said.
Judging by the excitement of those competing and those enjoying the Baraga County Fair this weekend, it is surely a “Tradition Worth Keeping.”