'Most Popular Fair on Earth' draws crowds
HILLSDALE — Thousands from both Hillsdale and many of the surrounding communities attended the 172nd Hillsdale County Fair this past week.
The fair labeled “the most popular fair on earth” was themed “Stars, Stripes, and Fair Delights” and ran from Sept. 25-Oct. 1.
Attendees had their pick of fun activities, from eating the fair food everyone has come to love, to stopping by the livestock barns and viewing some of the finest livestock from all over the county.
A demo derby, truck and car races, a tractor pull, and many other events filled the fair grandstand with hundreds throughout the week.
Attendees also got the chance to attend a rodeo, put on by Western Days Ministries. Three times a day, you could even stop by and see Chase’s Racing Pigs.
Many local businesses and organizations helped to sponsor the fair, which is produced yearly by the Hillsdale County Agricultural Society.
Records were even set, when two horses named Pistol and Rowdy set a new Michigan record in the Hillsdale National Heavyweight Championship. The horses pulled a tow truck that weighed 5,050 pounds a distance of 28 feet, 11 inches.
There was something for everyone at the fair.
Kids had the opportunity to ride one of the carnival rides or enter one of the many craft or animal competitions.
They even got to guess the weight of a pumpkin, with the closest guess winning a bicycle.
Community members got to show off unique talents like arranging flowers or growing pumpkins, while many local businesses joined the 175 vendors selling handmade artisan goods, local products like honey and wool, and food.
Lori Hull, the fair secretary and manager, told WCSR, one of the sponsors of the fair, that the weather presented some problems earlier in the week.
Yet, the fairgrounds filled up the last few days, with blue skies bringing in many that the weather had kept away.
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Jenny Leonard is a student at Hillsdale College and originally planned to go to the fair when it first opened but ended up changing her plans.
“We were going to go on Sunday, but it was just too gloomy.”
Once the weather cleared, Leonard replanned her trip with a group of friends. They got to explore the fair and even stopped by to see one of the small animal auctions.
“My favorite part of the fair was watching the bunny auction because it was so different from anything I’d seen before and felt so simple, small-town, and old-fashioned.”
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: 'Most Popular Fair on Earth' draws crowds
