Clouds part and sun shines on Columbia County Fair

DAYTON–The 2021 Columbia County Fair was unfazed by a spell of rain showers on Friday, September 10 as local residents and visitors from out of town converged on the Fairgrounds to enjoy animals, cotton candy and exhibits for the first time since 2019.

The 2020 edition of the Fair was restricted to exhibitors, their parents or people assisting them, and fair officials responsible for streaming the various events on Facebook.

The three-day fair-"A Blue Ribbon A-Fair"-was held September 10-12.

This year, the Fair welcomed people to enjoy a jackpot rodeo on Friday night, a demo derby on Saturday night, unfettered access to show ring competitions, music and entertainment by Big Top the Clown, ventriloquist Jerry Breeden, a very tall cowboy, Eric Haines One-Man Band, Professor Bamboozle and a Friday-night performance by Austin Lindstrom in the UnderGrand Saloon, with Zac Grooms. Ty Lane crooned under the grandstands for a spell on Friday night.

The Pavilion was chock full of exhibits of fine art, quilts, photographs and commercial booths galore, including local businesses, civic groups and others.

Local 4-H and FFA members filled the Youth Building with a variety of displays, posters and examples of their 4-H endeavors from the past year, not to mention the same group's livestock projects, which clucked, mooed, bleated and crowed from the livestock barn locale.

"It was good," said Fair Board President Matt Johnson.

"Everything went very smoothly and I think we were able to give the community an experience they have been hungry for," he said. "Vendors all did well and we had one of our largest single days Saturday in the past eight years that I've been doing this."