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Door County Fair Numbers Up 60 Percent

While Door County Fair officials are still evaluating numbers from the 2017 fair that ended Aug. 6, Fair Board President Tom Ash said this year’s fair was an unqualified success.

“As far as we’re concerned, the fair board, we’re considering it a huge success,” he said. “It looks like the early numbers show about a 60 percent increase in attendance over last year, despite the terrible rain. We’re estimating somewhere between 14,000 and 16,000 people attended the fair. It’s just a matter of the ratio you use for the booster buttons.”

He attributes the increase in attendance numbers to the daily $5 entry fee and the return of the booster button, with unlimited fair access.

“The comments we’re seeing online is all attributable to the pricing and bringing back the booster buttons, the affordable price for a family to come to the fair and get that level of entertainment,” Ash said. “People were also happy with the extra attractions. People loved the pig and duck races. Probably 50 people told us, you’ve got to have them back.”

Ash said the fair board will hold a meeting to review the 2017 fair, and they are looking for public comments on what worked, what didn’t work and what else people would look to see at their county fair.

“We’re open to any and all kind of input so we know what to change up,” Ash said.

Send comments to [email protected].

East Maplewood Beavers Dominate Animal Auction

Lexi Wery of the East Maplewood Beavers 4-H Club leaves the auction hall with her 280-pound Reserve Champion hog, which earned $4.90 a pound in auction. The market price for hogs that day was 54 cents a pound. Lexi also took the top prize in the beef category. Her 1,324-pound Angus sold for $3.40 a pound. The market price for beef was $1.20. Photo by Len Villano.

Members of the East Maplewood Beavers 4-H Club had a good night at the Door County Quality Market Animal Sale at the Door County Fair on Aug. 5, with members taking the top spots in lamb, beef and swine.

The idea behind the annual animal auction at the fair is to give youth the experience in an agribusiness project, raising an animal for sale at the market.

Lexi Wery of the East Maplewood Beavers 4-H Club raised the champion beef cow, an Angus that weighed in at 1,324 pounds. Her champion sold for $3.40 a pound to Bayside Vets. Nick Baudhuin, also of the East Maplewood Beavers, raised the Reserve Champion, a 1,370-pound Angus cross that sold for $2.40 per pound to Pro Products. The market price on beef that day was $1.20 per pound.

Nathan Lenius of the East Maplewood Beavers had the Grand Champion swine. The 285-pounder was sold to Econofoods for $4 a pound. Lexi Wery raised the Reserve Champion, a 280-pounder that sold for $4.90 a pound to Travis Price Masonry & Plastering of Brussels. The market price on hogs that day was 54 cents per pound.

Lydia Kramer of the East Maplewood Beavers, raised the champion sheep, a 143-pound crossbreed that sold for $5.10 a pound to Econofoods. Lydia also raised the Reserve Champion, a 151-pound crossbreed that sold for $4.50 a pound. The market price for lamb was $1.50 a pound.

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