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Fair offers full schedule of fun By JOEL STOTTRUP The fruits of the earth and the artistry and skill of many will be on display during the Mille Lacs County Fair in just two more weeks at the fairgrounds in Princeton. While the Aug. 7-10 fair technically begins on a Thursday, dog watchers can, for free, take in the fair's dog show on Wednesday, Aug. 6, starting at 8 a.m. The dog show events include obedience and agility. It is the same day that 4-Hers and open class exhibitors register their exhibits. Exhibitors in open class can speed up the process by preregistering their exhibits by Aug. 2, using the form found in the county fair's premium booklets, found at various businesses in the county. Admission buttons for entrance into the fair this year are $5, up $1 over last year. Fair board member Gene Gerth said last week that is due to increased operating costs, coupled with reduced county funding. The button admits the holder to all four days of the fair. The only other cost is admission to any of the four grandstand events: Tractor pull on Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m., stock car races on Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m., demolition derby on Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and enduro car race on Aug. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Up to 100 cars will start the enduro race to see who can win in the 200-lap contest. Top prize is $1,000 and there is money and trophies to tenth place. Enduro organizer Wayne Nelson, co-owner of Hy-Tech Auto in Princeton and an entrant in the enduro that ran in Princeton in 1986, talked about the event. He said that if 100 cars are in the enduro, they should fit two to three abreast and fill the entire track. The enduro will begin with 70 laps, take a 15 minute break, go another 70 laps and take another break, and then finish the final 60 laps. It's more about survival than racing, he said, calling the event ñinterestingî and ñwild.î Other features at the fair include the Band Wagon, where country singer/historian Jim Hawthorne is scheduled to play acoustic guitar and sing country classics with recorded accompaniment from a remarkably long list he has memorized. Another free feature will be something called Trailing the Farm. The name comes from a 1/64th scale model of a farm, with 1,400 pieces, laid out inside an 8x24-foot' trailer. While recent Mille Lacs County Fairs have had some older model tractors on display, Gerth said that will be expanded this year. Chopper, billed as the world's nuttiest DJ, will provide some of the free entertainment at the bandshell starting at 8 p.m. on Thursday and again on Friday. Another free event will be the talent contest on Saturday at 6 p.m., with three divisions -- preteen (12 and under), teen (13-18), and open division (any age). Priority registration will be given to Mille Lacs County residents. Registration deadline is Aug. 2. (See form in the fair premium book.) Cash prizes will be awarded to the first two places in each division and the top winner from each division will be eligible to compete in the Minnesota State Fair talent contest. A program designed for senior citizens is Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission for those age 60 and older will be $2 that day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The senior citizens will be offered free coffee, lemonade, iced tea and Pepsi at the 4-H food stand that day from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free blood pressure checks will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dolores With Her Hats will be one of the senior citizen program features and it starts at 11:15 a.m., featuring hat styles from the very early days to the present. The senior citizen program will also honor the county's senior citizens of the year, farm families of the year, and the state fair century farms will be announced. Other free events include the kids' pedal tractor pull on Thursday at 2 p.m., the band Lip Service Saturday at 8 p.m., the draft horse pull on Sunday at 1 p.m. and various livestock shows are also planned as usual. People interested in attending the livestock exhibitions should read this year's schedule closely because some have been changed from past years in order to better use the livestock pavilion that opened last year at the fairgrounds. Kids age 4-10 may consider being in the kids costume parade and best costume competition beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Crafts activities for kids will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the same day in the 4-H building. The Brian Gilbertson magic act will run between the kids parade and the kids crafts. The Mille Lacs County Historical Society has a building at the fairgrounds and if you have a vintage or collectible item you may have questions about, someone specializing in antiques will be at that location for two hours on Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m. During Friday and Saturday of the fair, the historical society building will have Grandma Pat demonstrating wool spinning. If you still haven't made it to the fair until the last day and would like a free meal, the first 800 people through the gate on Sunday, starting at 11:30 a.m., can line up for a free picnic lunch. The county's 4-H Share the Fun acts will be presented the same day at 1 p.m. at the bandshell, and the band Country Pride will entertain there in the afternoon. Other features include: • Informal show in pavilion on Friday, Aug. 8, starting at 1:30 p.m., and a competitive type horse show on Saturday, Aug. 9 starting at 8 a.m. • 4-H fashion revue at the bandshell at 4:30 p.m. • 4-H Arts-In show (this year called Cinemagic and featuring Broadway music) at the bandshell at 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 and 8 and 2 p.m. on Aug. 9. • 4-H livestock auction at 6 p.m. on Aug. 8 in the pavilion. The commercial and open class exhibit buildings will have exhibits. The midway rides will be put on by Stipe's Shows, the rides beginning at 2 p.m. on Thursday of the fair and resuming at 1 p.m. every day after that. Armband days in which people may buy an armband good for rides all afternoon will be on Friday and Sunday of the fair, 1 to 5 p.m. Mille Lacs County Extension educator Tana Haugen-Brown expects the number of exhibits and livestock entries to be the same, if not greater, than in previous years. The Mille Lacs County Agricultural Society, which elects members to the fair board, is always looking for members. Volunteers are also welcome to help the ag society with the many tasks that make a fair successful. Anyone interested in being a volunteer or becoming an ag society member may call the fairgrounds office at (763) 389-3138. Special fair events for seniors One of two pavement-resurfacing projects for U.S. Highway 169 in Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties was scheduled to begin today (Thursday), according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) St. Cloud office. The work involves a process called micro surfacing, which is a seal coat treatment to fill the small imperfections in the roadway. The micro surfacing treatment is designed to extend the life of the roadway, provide a smoother ride, and improve skid resistance. Weather permitting, the first project will begin July 24 on the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 169 from the Rum River Rest Area to Mille Lacs County Highway 19, which is approximately five miles south of Onamia. The work will be done only during the daylight hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. In addition, there will be no work on Fridays. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be complete by the end of July. On July 30, work is set to begin on U.S. Highway 169 between Sherburne County Road 9, approximately three miles north of Zimmerman, and Mille Lacs County Highway 29, north of Princeton. Both the north and southbound lanes will be resurfaced. The work will be done only during the daylight hours of 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., and there will be no work in the northbound lanes on Fridays. Weather permitting, this project is expected to be done in early August. During the work, flaggers will control traffic and motorists should plan for daily lane closures on the highway where crews are working. Drivers are urged to slow down, be alert for the workers and the equipment moving through the paving operation. Also, weather permitting, micro surfacing work is scheduled to be done July 28 on Highway 23 in Milaca from Central Avenue to Mille Lacs County Highway 2. The work is expected to be completed in one day between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. For information on weather, road conditions, or traffic incidents, travelers can call 511 or log onto www.511mn.org.
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