NDN-SS-07-11-2023

FRIDAY, JULY 14

8-2 p.m. Arrival of Horse & Tack

8-2 p.m. Grounds open for Livestock Tack Set Up

8-2 p.m. Beef, Dairy, Swine, Sheep, Llama, Goats allowed on the grounds

1 p.m. Clothing Event Judging (Closed to Public)

Youth Exhibit Building

4:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies

4:30 p.m. 4-H/FFA Dog Show (check-in 4) Pavilion

5 p.m. 4-H/FFA Cat Show (check in 4:30) Small Animal Barn

6:30 p.m. Open Class Entries Accepted until 7:30 p.m.

7 p.m. Rodeo Horse Arena

SATURDAY, JULY 15

Inflatables

7 a.m. Arrival of all species allowed on the grounds – follow

Livestock Schedule for specific species time they must arrive by

8 a.m. to Noon Open Class Entries Accepted Open Class Building

9 a.m. 4-H/FFA Horse show Horse Arena

9 a.m. Baby Review Pavilion Noon Fun Pet Show Pavilion

12 to 6 p.m. 4-H/FFA Youth Building Open to Public Youth Building

1 p.m. Open Class Building Closed for Judging

1 to 2:30 p.m. Sheep Weigh-in Scalehouse

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Goat Weigh-in Scalehouse

2 p.m. 3 on 3 Tournament Basketball Court

4 p.m. Friendship Livestock Show (check in at 3 p.m.) Pavilion

5 to 6 p.m. Beef Weigh-in (Breeding ID to follow) Scalehouse

6:30 to 8 p.m. Open Class Building Open

7 p.m. Impact Pro Wrestling Pavilion

Jasper County, Iowa:

SUNDAY, JULY 16

VETERANS DAY

Inflatables

8 a.m. Annual 5K Run (Registration at 7 a.m.)

7:30 a.m. Swine Weigh-in Scalehouse

9:30 a.m. Church Service Youth Building

10:30 a.m. Tractor Pull West Track

10:30 a.m. Exhibit Buildings open

10:30 a.m. 4-H/FFA Llama Show Pavilion

10:30 a.m. 4-H/FFA Poultry Show Small Animal Building

Open Class Poultry to follow Small Animal Building

11 a.m. Communications and Awards Youth Building

12 to 3 p.m. Public Safety Day Big Tent Area

12:30 p.m. Pedal Pull Registration Outside Youth Building

1 p.m. Pedal Pull Outside Youth Building

3 p.m. Barnyard Battles Pavilion

4 p.m. Quilts of Valor Presentation Big Tent

5 p.m. Free Supper Big Tent

7 p.m. Hypnotist Horse Arena

8 p.m. Exhibit Buildings Close

Dusk FIREWORKS

MONDAY, JULY 17

CHILDREN’S DAY Inflatables

8 a.m. 4-H/FFA Sheep Show Pavilion

Little People/Little Lamb Open Show following Breeding & Market Classes

9 a.m. Exhibit Buildings Open

10 a.m. Kids Corner (County Council)

Reading with Marcus McIntosh Youth Building

1 p.m. Goat Show Pavilion

5 p.m. Buildings Close

6:30 p.m. Parade Downtown Colfax

8 p.m. Exhibit Buildings Open

8:30 p.m. JCF Fundraising Auction Pavilion

10 p.m. Exhibit Buildings Close

TUESDAY, JULY 18 • EXHIBITORS DAY

7:30 a.m. 4-H/FFA Swine Show Pavilion

Little Squealers to following Swine Show

9 a.m. Exhibit Buildings Open

10 to Noon Kids Corner (County Council) Food Court

1 to 3 p.m. Livestock Skillathon Pavilion

4 p.m. Dairy Show Pavilion

5 p.m. Amazing Race Food Court Shelterhouse

5 p.m. Open Horse Show Arena

6 p.m. Key Coop Exhibitor’s Supper Big Tent

6 p.m. Horseshoe Tournament

7 p.m. Clothing Event Show and Awards Youth Building

7 p.m. Cattle Fitting Demonstration Pavilion

8 p.m. Exhinit Buildings Close

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

8 a.m. 4-H/FFA Market Beef Show Pavilion

4-H/FFA Breeding Beef Show will be 30 min. after conclusion of Market Beef

9 a.m. Exhibit Buildings Open

9 a.m. 4-H/FFA Rabbit Show Small Animal Building

Open Rabbit Show following Small Animal Building

10 a.m. Kids Corner (County Council) Food Court

1:30 p.m. Livestock Judging Contest Pavilion

3 p.m. (approx.) Dodgeball Pavilion

3 p.m. 4-H Bottle Calf Interviews Youth Building

3:30 p.m. Farm Bureau Watermelon Feed

4:30 p.m. Supreme Showmanship Meeting Fair Office

5:30 p.m. State Fair Meeting Youth Building

(Exhibits, Clothing Event, Comm.)

6 p.m. 4-H Bucket/Bottle Calf Show Pavilion

Open Bucket/Bottle Calf Show to follow

8 p.m. (approx.) Big Jer’s Movie Night Pavilion

8 p.m. Exhibit Buildings Close

8:30 p.m. (appox.) Big Jer’s Movie Night Pavilion

9 to 11 p.m. Teen Dance Big Tent Area

THURSDAY, JULY 20

9 a.m. Supreme Showmanship Pavilion

11 a.m. Exhibit Building Open

11:30 a.m. ALL EXHIBITS RELEASED

4:30 p.m. Farm Credit Services Sale Supper Pavilion

5:30 p.m. 4-H/FFA Bucket of Junk & Livestock Auction Pavilion

Meet your 2023 Jasper County Fair Queen

Jocelyn Harder of Baxter to wear the crown and sash at county fair in July

By Christopher Braunschweig Newton News

“Oh my gosh! Did this just happen?”

That is what was going through Jocelyn Harder’s head the moment she was crowned the 2023 Jasper County Fair Queen. The Baxter Community School District student and nine other local contestants competed in the Jasper County Fair Queen Contest on Jan. 24 at the Newton Community Theatre.

Harder is the daughter of Eric and Laura Harder. At school, she is involved in FFA, wrestling, cheer, track, Big Bolt Little Bolt mentoring and National Honor Society. According to her contestant bio, Harder believes being fair queen will help her develop leadership skills and public speaking skills.

Looking back on the contest, Harder said she had so much fun meeting the other girls and getting to know them. It feels like they are one big family now, she said.

“We got super close over the contest by just talking about random topics,” Harder said. “It was all close throughout the entire contest. We were all able to hear a little bit of each other’s interviews and answers to questions. We all just felt super close. There wasn’t one person who stood out or anything like that.”

Indeed, it was a close competition. With 10 contestants competing for the crown and sash, it was easily one of the biggest turnouts in the contest in recent years. In addition to Harder being crowned queen, Hope Bonham of Prairie City was crowned the 2023 Jasper County Fair Queen Princess.

All contestants were given a fair queen contestant sash to wear during the Jasper County Fair this year, which is being held July 14-20.

Harder grew up around the Jasper County Fair, and she loves the opportunity to meet new people, hang out with friends and show her livestock. She said the fair is a good way to experience the community and help others, especially the little kids who are just learning how to show and participate for the first time.

Harder will be experiencing the fair this year in a completely different way as the fair queen.

“It’s definitely a new experience and I’ll get to see things from a different side that I haven’t seen before,” she said in an interview with the Newton News after the contest. “It will just be a whole new way to see things that I haven’t done before and go to things that I normally don’t do, too.”

2023 Jasper County Fair Princess Hope Bonham

Hope Bonham is the daughter of Kevin and Loretta Bonham. She is a student at PCM High School and she is involved in cheer, dance, 4H, FFA (serving as vice president), trapshooting, band and National Honor Society. She is a hard worker and reaches to better herself and those around her. Hope wants to help anyone and everyone with every chance she gets.

Otto

Perry

Tabor atabor@shomo-madsen.com

Colfax/Newton Colfax/Mingo Newton

From left: Jasper County Fair Queen 2022 Lauren Zaabel, Jasper County Fair Queen 2023 Jocelyn Harder, Jasper County Fair Princess 2023 Hope Bonham and Jasper County Fair Princess 2022 Morgan Hansen. Christopher Braunschweig/Newton News

Vendor building at Jasper County Fairgrounds sees improvements

New lights, paint job brighten up building that houses local makers and vendors during the fair

By Christopher Braunschweig Newton News

The changes made to the vendor building at the Jasper County Fairgrounds may seem trivial at first glance, but sometimes it is the smallest improvements that make the biggest differences. Nikki Stravers and Tammi Schwickerath, who have taken charge of the building for the past 10 years, are grateful for the changes.

In addition to a new coat of paint on the ceiling, there are also new fans and LED lights in the building, the latter of which was sorely needed for the past few years.

Stravers and Schwickerath, who also own Absolutely YOUnique Boutique in Colfax, say the 26 vendors stationed in the upgraded vendor building at this year’s county fair will be glad improvements have been made. Even more so because a majority of them are return-

ing vendors.

The two sisters have also been vendors of the fair since 2010.

“We were always just present there as vendors with our T-shirts and different things that we did,” Stravers said. “The fair board knew we were there every year and they asked if we would consider helping put more people in

CONT. PG 13

Jasper County Fair Gate Hours

Friday,

Late Model, Low Miles Cars and Trucks for Sale

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there. We assured them we had connections of other people that might set up a booth.”

Schwickerath added, “They asked us if we could fill the building. We said, ‘Give it to us and we’ll fill it. But you gotta give it to us first.’ And we’ve filled it every year.”

Of course, the vendor building wasn’t always exclusive to vendors. Schwickerath said the building was divided in half for some time. Half of it was taking advantage of the kitchen and served breakfast, while the other half was reserved for vendors. Back then there were not that many vendors.

When the sisters took over the building around 2013 or so, they

brought with them a steady and dedicated group of vendors, just like they promised. Since then the number of vendors has increased drastically, giving county fairgoers even more to do and look forward to the next year.

Jewelry, crafts, toys, handmade goods and more can be found in the vendor building. Prior to the fair board handing over responsibility to the sisters, only about 10 vendors at most had set up booths in the building. More vendors have piled in every year, which is a weight off fair board members’ shoulders.

“I feel like the fair needs to focus on the fair, and if our strength is helping them to run that building so they don’t ever have to come in the building or worry about any -

thing, we can take that burden off of them,” Stravers said. “It’s our strong suit. That way they can focus on the kids, the animals and all the fair stuff.”

From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the fair, Stravers and Schwickerath are huddled away in the vendor building. It is a lot of work, they said, but they have a blast the whole week. The two frequently play music and make the vendor building a fun environment for everyone.

Customer flow can be slow, so vendors have to find ways to keep things light.

“There might be shenanigans that go on that we pull people into,” Schwickerath said. “It’s really fun. It’s just a fun place. We do have a couple new vendors this year, too,

but a lot of them are repeat. (Most visitors) are there for the kids, and they’re there to show. We get the leftovers and in-between.”

Being in the upgraded building will certainly help brighten things up, too. Quite literally, in fact. Stravers and Schwickerath are looking forward to the building not looking as dark as before and enjoying their newfound comfort. All the while making sure vendors are happy.

“The fair board always asked us if we were OK and were always checking in on us, and that is something we pay forward to the vendors, too,” Stravers said. “We make sure if they have any questions or concerns or if they need anything. We want them to come back every year. So we really try to take care of them.”

New PA system will increase communication at the Jasper County Fair

By Jamee A. Pierson Newton News

Several updates were done at the Jasper County Fair grounds for the 2023 season, none more important than the new PA system. Replacing an aging system that gave it’s final call last year, the new PA has additional features that will make communication more efficient on the grounds.

“A big push for it was safety,” Jasper County Fair Board of Directors Secretary Jake Clymer said. “It seems like every year we have severe weather, thunderstorms, tornado watches or warnings and we wanted to be able to have that to communicate with our fairgoers and our campers.”

Previously having an older system wasn’t great for communication or safety on the grounds.

While it worked for many years, it was time to make a change.

“I think the main priority was the old system was so outdated, there were areas that were not working, areas that were distorted,” Clymer said. “To put on a fair we need to able to communicate.”

The new system has a variety of capabilities the former PA did not. Instead of a ground wide announcement, specific zones help to inform only those who the information is applicable to.

“For our families and fairgoers to be able to communicate as we progress through a livestock show or horse show. They need to be able to communicate what class is up and it makes it a lot more user friendly,” Clymer said. “It has been put into different zones. There are zones for specif-

ic barns, specific areas of the grounds. There are ones for the horse arena, the tractor pull arena and there is an option to select multiple zones.”

The PA system also reaches from one end of the grounds to the other, giving clear messages for those enjoying the week.

“The amount of speakers that were installed will reach the entire fairgrounds,” Clymer said. “You cannot stand anywhere on our fairgrounds and not be able to hear the system loud and clearly.”

With the fair less than a month away, all of those who work hard throughout the year are ready to see the fruits of their labor in action.

“I am excited to get the 2023 fair kicked off with the new positive change and get to hear all of the appreciation from the fairgoers,” Clymer said.