4-H kids show off their animals at Kane County Fair
The carnival rides are spinning, the funnel cakes are dusted with sugar, the corn is roasted and a few newcomers are getting acquainted with the Kane County Fair, now underway in St. Charles.
Mary Kelley, a 12-year-old from Elburn, kissed her anxious Scottish Highland heifer on the top of the head as the pair practiced for the fair’s 4-H competition.
“I'm getting her used to the arena because she's never been here before,” Mary said of the young cow. “It's kind of a way of getting her 'normalized.'”
Sporting a coat of neatly brushed fur — the breed is noticeably hairier than most other cows — the heifer hesitated at first and “mooed” several times, but soon began to settle down for Kelley. Rabbits, poultry, sheep, swine dairy cows and beef cattle are all part of the 4-H show.
The fair continues this weekend with a carnival, live music acts, the “Swifty Swine” racing pigs, a petting zoo and a mullet competition.
The fair closes on Sunday, but it won’t go quietly. The tire-screeching demolition derby is set to rev up on the final afternoon of the fair.