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Annual county fair works at keeping traditions alive

July 29, 2009

Demolition derbies, fried foods and carnival rides are scheduled to make their annual August appearance in the Lansing area as the 155th annual Ingham County Fair comes to the fairground, 700 E. Ash St., in Mason, for the week of Monday, Aug. 3 through Saturday, Aug. 8.

“It’s big, clean, American family fun,” said Tom Edman, executive director of the Ingham County Fair. “There’s nothing wrong with that in these times.”

A week’s worth of activities include motocross Tuesday, two nights of figure eight demolition derbies Wednesday and Thursday, a rodeo Friday and an old-fashioned demolition derby on Saturday, he said. Although the fair faced some unexpected financial cutbacks, Edman said his office and the community have made every effort to preserve the traditional fair experience.

“There’s been a lot of belt tightening and cutting corners this year,” he said.

One of the sacrifices made necessary by the state-level budget cuts included a loss of funding for items given out as prizes for Michigan 4-H club competitions, Edman said.

Michigan 4-H Youth Development is sponsored through MSU Extension and uses research developed at the university in many of its projects, said Michelle Lavra, communications manager for Michigan 4-H Youth Development.

Although the loss of funding affects cash prizes, Lavra said ribbons and medals still will be given out to winners and, ultimately, that’s more important than the money for most 4-H participants. Whether they are bringing livestock or vegetables to the show, she said the pride and skill sets gained from working with the kids of Michigan 4-H are more than enough of a reward for both participants and volunteers, she said.

Michigan 4-H has 250,000 youth participants between the ages of 5 and 19 currently being led in the program by more than 30,000 volunteers. She said the range of projects being worked on by the Michigan 4-H participants is just as varied as the wide range of kids participating. Even with more limited funding for prizes, she said the fair experience comes down to making the kids feel like a part of their community.

“It’s a chance for them to be recognized by their community and family,” she said. “Really, the kids are the projects.”

Kayla Stewart, a prenursing junior, started participating in Michigan 4-H seven years ago because of her passion for animals. She has attended the Ingham County Fair to show horses, dogs, goats and rabbits in the past. This will be her last year showing her goats and rabbits at the fair, she said.

“It’s good to see your hard work pay off,” she said. “It’s your reward for working hard all summer.”

For college students caught in limbo between appreciating a family event as a child and as an adult, Edman said there still are plenty of reasons to make the Ingham County Fair a part of their summer plans.

He said carnival rides, derbies, grandstand events and great people-watching were all great reasons to come down to the fair this year, with daily admission at the gate set at $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors and also free parking.

“It’s tradition,” he said. “Besides, where else can you get a deep-fried Twinkie?”

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