Just in time for the Olympic Games in Paris, which start on Friday, comes the 95th Lake County Fair offering its own Grayslake competitions, including baby crawling and husband calling contests.
The fair started Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Grayslake.
Touted as a “fair of Olympic proportions .. it’s kind of a ‘pig’ deal,” the spectacle offers the promise of, “five days filled with excitement, entertainment and unforgettable memories for the whole family,” according to promotional material.
Chey Pribel, the fair’s director of marketing, expected 100,000 to attend the fair this year.
“This is a community-builder because generations of families have gathered at the Lake County Fair, where summertime fun and traditions meet new attractions and activities,” Pribel said. “Today’s visitors experience the county’s agricultural and horticultural heritage, alongside modern attractions like motorsports, funnel cakes, live music and carnival rides.
“The strong sense of community that the Lake County Fair garners is not something always common in today’s fast-paced world,” Pribel continued. “The fair ultimately celebrates Lake County’s heritage, and we hope that it stays that way for future generations.”
Offerings include Flower Hour, in its second year, as an opening day, one-hour memory-maker for families with sensory needs, featuring quieter midway rides and games.
“I hope it grows every year,” Pribel said.
Other amenities include livestock judging. Taking part was the Glenview Clovers 4-H Club of Historic Wagner Farm of Glenview.
Linus Coleman of Glenview and Emma Schirmer of Skokie, were among the Glenview Clovers members showing lambs for judging. Coleman presented Hurricane and Schirmer showed Potato, both male Suffolk Hampshire lambs.
“I’m actually showing a friend’s lamb,” Schirmer said. “I think generally, he just looks like a potato. He has the build of a potato.”
Coleman said, “Wagner Farm is super special because there are no farms like it in Cook County with livestock. These lambs, we work all summer long to make them look all pretty for this show. We work with them with their muscle tone, take them for walks around the neighborhood.
“This is their Super Bowl,” Coleman said.
Blake Lanphier, farm operations manager at Historic Wagner Farm and 4-H Club co-leader, said the Glenview Clovers has 30 club members, ages 8 to 18.
“We brought about 40 head of livestock up here — hogs, dairy and sheep,” Lanphier said.
“For the kids, it’s a great experience just to interact with the public, and then have all their hard work come to a head here at the show and show their animals,” Lanphier continued. “They put a lot of work into it. For them to experience a real deal fair … is pretty cool.”
As Sal Estrada, 3, of Wauconda, rode Humphrey, a male camel from Barrington, his father Brian said, “He’s having a blast.”
The fair also features the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, Show Me Swine Pig Races, the Kidbucks Game Show, the John Measner Magic Show, a K-9 demonstration from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Timberworks Lumberjack Show and Bloody Mary Bingo.
There is also the interactive Bubble Zone, plus the Miss, Junior Miss and Little Miss Lake County Fair pageants.
Grandstand Arena events with event admission include the Motocross, Monster Truck Throwdown, the new 406FMX High Air Tour, Pro Bull Riding and Barrel Racing. New events also include the Grayslake Police versus Grayslake Fire Olympic Relay Race on Sunday at 1 p.m., the Kidz Science Safari each day, The Trivia Tractor daily and 90s Pop Nation on Saturday at 9 p.m.
See the Lake County Fair schedule at: www.lcfair.com/2024.
