Be Footloose at this Year’s Fair

by Cara Russell

Footloose is the theme for this year’s San Juan County Fair.

Fair Director Maddie Ovenell is excited for the County Fair this year. Aside from the awaiting smell of elephant ears, hay and cow pies, change is in the air. There are new entertainers, a new K9 Kings dog agility program, and a new layout.

Perhaps the biggest change this year is moving the main stage to a new location. This new location has been chosen to make the live music more accessible to the fairgoers. And where is the new stage? Right next to the main gate entrance. “The whole fair has a new format now, plus reconfigured two bands stages,” Ovenell said.

Aside from the new changes, all the things we love about the fair have remained, the animals, textiles, baking, art, Master Gardeners, food venders, nightly BBQs—ice cream, fried everything, and contests like watermelon eating, bubble gum blowing, corn dog eating, chicken and rabbit races, and the Zucchini 500 Races!

“Everything has been running really smoothly and has come together nicely, Ovenell says. “It has absolutely amazed me, just how much the community pitches in on this event. People keep showing up daily to help. We’re ready to start!”

4-H kids will take and show a variety of animals including chickens, rabbits, cavies, sheep, goats and cows starting Wednesday, Aug 14th through Saturday, Aug 17th at the San Juan County Fairgrounds in Friday Harbor. Island Hardware & Supply has agreed to donate chicken and rabbit food for 4-H Project animals.

Orcas Island kids of Fur and Feathers, Martha Lum, Miette Woolworth, Anwyn Thompson, and Tashi and Kaj Litch, will be participating in the Fair again this year. Some of the kids are up to new things as well, like selling grass fed lambs at the livestock auction. “This is a new thing. It’s kind of unique.” Says Kathy Morris, adult leader of Fur and Feathers.

These kids have participated a lot in 4-H, but this is their first year they are doing market animals. Tashi, Kaj and Martha will be bringing steer to show! Aside from steer, the kids will also take and show a variety of furry and feathered animals like chickens, rabbits, cavies, sheep, goats, and cows.

This year Island Hardware & Supply has donated four bags of feed for the chickens and rabbits to eat while they are at the fair. In order for fair goers to feed the animals in the barn, it will take three bags of chicken crumbles and one bag of rabbit grain.

Then the live auction on Saturday. Linnea Morris will be auctioning off a trio of pullets (pre-egg laying hens, of less than a year old). Everything from steer, hogs, goats, meat rabbits, meat chickens, and trios of pullets, and a dozens of eggs will be auctioned off. And the coolest part about the auction, almost all of the money earned goes to the kids. The kids use the money earned to save for college.

“We’re trying to get more people from Orcas to come and partake in the auctions.” Morris. Many San Juan Islanders bid at the live auction, but Orcas Islanders are still fairly under attended. The Live Animal auction starts @ 1pm on Saturday.

If these kids weren’t already doing enough, there is a performing arts part of 4-H. Tashi, Kaj, and Paris Wilson will be displaying their musical talent with a performance on the main stage on Thursday at 6 p.m. The performance is set to last an hour.

The fun begins Wednesday, Aug 14th and goes through Saturday Aug 17th, at the San Juan County Fairgrounds in Friday Harbor. Visit the website for more information. There are many more fun and footloose family events to enjoy at the fair!