Thousands of people swarmed the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds for the 166th year of the “most popular fair on Earth.”
The Hillsdale County Fair, which runs through Saturday, features a variety of booths and vendors, some of which have exhibited at the fair for more than 40 years. Hillsdale County Fair manager Mark Williams said several new booths and vendors add to the variety of seasoned fair veterans.
“We have new vendors that I think everyone will enjoy, like spin art and glass etching,” Williams said. “The food trucks are mostly the same, and, of course, the agricultural booths are still there.”
Among the recently added booths is the Centennial Farm Exhibit, which is dedicated to the history of the fair and the centennial farms of Hillsdale County.
Other booths, like that of the Hillsdale County Republican Party, have appeared at the fair for more than 40 years.
“We’ve been doing this every year for as long as I can remember,” said Glenn Forbel, Hillsdale resident and Hillsdale Republican Party chairman.
Located in the Floral Barn, the Hillsdale County Republican Party’s booth was easily recognizable, marked by an immense advertisement for the campaign of presidential nominee Donald Trump. It seeks to raise money through donations at the booth and promote the ideals and values of the GOP.
Meanwhile, the Hillsdale Disabled Veterans booth is selling various items to raise money for Hillsdale County’s veterans at the fair for more than 16 years.
“The main purpose of our booth is to help our veterans and their families, especially in the winter time when they struggle to make do,” said Anna Lockwood, commander for the Hillsdale Disabled American Veterans chapter.
The Hillsdale Disabled Veterans group is a nonprofit organization that assists veterans within Hillsdale County.
The fair also allows locals to showcase their art and antiques.
Hillsdale resident Ruth Ives has worked at a booth displaying colorful quilt patterns for the past four years.
“I like quilting,” Ives said. “When I retired, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
Ives said the fair has allowed her to take a fun and relaxing hobby she enjoys and showcase it to the public.
“The fair encourages people to show off their work,” she said. “When you see someone else’s work it makes you think, ‘I could do that, too.’ You just need to be patient and be willing to do whatever it takes to end up with the completed project.”
The fair dedicates one of the fairgrounds’ large barns to display various antiques and works of art. Hillsdale resident Ron Spence has volunteered at his booth for three years. He said he waited until he retired to step in and help out. An antique collector himself, Spence entered several of his items into the antique competition, in which the public is able to vote on their favorite item.
“I’m not here to win,” Spence said, “I just want to display what I’ve collected.”
Pointing to a doll he said was more than 100 years old, Spence explained how the competition worked.
“Everyone can vote on what item they like best,” he said. “We do give out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons, but it’s not about that. Sure, the winner gets a little prize, but no one is here to make money.”
Williams said the most popular booths are still the agricultural attractions, including the live-birth tent and the exhibit showcasing llamas and alpacas.
“Our directors care about the livestock a lot, even though many other county fairs are moving on from the traditional livestock booths,” Williams said.
Many of the agricultural booths feature livestock competitions as well. The directors select various community members to judge the competitions and award ribbons for first, second, and third places.