WORTHINGTON -- It’s fair week in Nobles County, and that means a whole lot of fun for the entire family with a carnival, car races, a tractor pull and rodeo in the Grandstand, numerous livestock shows, hundreds of 4-H and open class exhibits to see, and all kinds of delicious fair foods to sample.
For the second consecutive year, the Nobles County Fair will host a Family Fun Night from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday on the fairgrounds in Worthington. Registration tables will be located between the Ice Arena and the swine barn for children to sign up for the chance to win one of 46 bicycles to be given away during the evening.
Kim Gronewold, one of the Family Fun Night organizers, said 38 vendors will be on hand to showcase child and family-related activities Thursday evening. There will be hay wagon rides, car seat safety checks, a photo booth, family movie at dusk and three installments of Cow Pie Bingo -- at 6, 7 and 8 p.m.
Local entertainment -- including dancers from Shining Fame and The Dance Academy -- will perform from 5 to 6 p.m., with a variety of musical acts also being performed. Main Street Kids will sponsor baby races at 6:30 p.m., and a Kiddie Parade begins at 7 p.m., with prizes awarded for first, second and third place in three separate age divisions, 0-2, 3-5 and 6-10. Registration for the Kiddie Parade will begin at 5 p.m.
“We are also running an Amazing Race this year,” Gronewold said, adding that up to 15 teams of four may compete in the contest, which is open to both children and adults. Pre-registration for teams should be done on the Nobles County Fair Facebook page. The Amazing Race will feature 10 challenges with a $300 cash prize awarded to the first-place team, $200 for second place and $100 for third.
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Gronewold said more than 400 prizes will be handed out during the evening in addition to the bicycles and cash prizes.
The Worthington Optimist Club is sponsoring the family movie “Grand Champion” at dusk. The G-rated film is about a young boy named Buddy and his prize-winning calf, Hokey.
“We want people to come out and see all of the hard work of the 4-H’ers and the fair board,” Gronewold said.
Fair events get under way this morning with the 4-H Regional Dog Show inside the Ice Arena and the adjacent west lawn on the Nobles County Fairgrounds.
Throughout the remainder of the week there will be numerous livestock shows, grandstand events, carnival games and rides, visits by the Prairie Ecology Bus and Zoo Express and a wood carver will be on site Friday and Saturday making creations that will be auctioned off during Sunday night’s car races in the grandstand.
A complete schedule of events follows:
Monday
9 a.m.: 4-H Dog Show, Ice Arena and west lawn
6 to 8 p.m.: Open Class exhibit entry, Open Class building
Tuesday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Pre-fair 4-H conference judging of non-livestock exhibits
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9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Open Class exhibit entry, Open Class building
9 a.m to noon: 4-H Livestock interviews
6 to 8 p.m.: 4-H dairy and sheep entry
Wednesday 8 to 11 a.m.: 4-H livestock entry
10 a.m.: 4-H exhibit buildings open
11 a.m.: 4-H Dairy Show followed by District Dairy Show, Olson Arena
Noon: Commercial buildings open
4 p.m.: 4-H Rabbit Show, Rabbit Building
6 p.m.: 4-H Sheep Show, Olson Arena
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7 p.m.: Tractor Pull, Grandstand
Thursday 8 a.m.: 4-H Swine Show, Olson Arena
10 a.m.: Commercial & 4-H buildings open
2 p.m.: 4-H Poultry Show, Poultry Barn
4 p.m.: 4-H Goat Show, Olson Arena
5 to 8 p.m.: Family Fun Night
6 p.m.: Cloverbud and 4-H Pet Show, Olson Arena
7:30 p.m.: MK5K race
Friday (Wood carver all day)
8 a.m.: 4-H Beef Show and New Vision Co-op Calf Show
10 a.m.: Commercial and 4-H buildings open
2 to 7 p.m.: Ecology Bus
3 to 5 p.m.: 4-H demonstrations, Benton Hall
4:30 to 6 p.m.: 4-H Ribbon Sale check-in, 4-H office
6 p.m.: 4-H Ribbon Sale, Olson Arena
7 p.m.: Beanbag tournament
7:30 p.m.: Tuff-n-Nuff Rodeo, Grandstand
Saturday (Wood carver all day)
9 a.m.: State fair meeting (4-H non-livestock), Olson Arena
10 a.m.: State fair meeting (4-H livestock), Olson Arena
10 a.m.: Commercial and 4-H buildings open
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Tri-State Jr. Beef Show registration, Cattle Barn
11 a.m.: Livestock demonstrations, Olson Arena
Noon: Premier Showmanship, Olson Arena
Noon to 6 p.m.: Kid’s Day & Bike Give-away, Midway
2 to 4 p.m.: Zoo Express
2 p.m.: Tri-State Beef Show
2 p.m.: Horseshoe Tournament
7 p.m.: Beanbag Tournament
7 p.m.: Enduro race, Grandstand
Sunday 10 a.m.: Inspirational Service, Olson Arena
Noon: Commercial and 4-H buildings open
1:30 p.m.: Kids Pedal Pull
3 p.m.: All exhibits released
7 p.m.: Car races and woodcarving auction, Grandstand
