Not what it once was, but still plenty of ag to show off and celebrate at Lake County Fair

A five-day celebration of rides, attractions, entertainment and events began Wednesday to mark the 97th year of Lake County Fair.

And although it’s not what it was in the past, it still honors a farming culture — the primary reason the fair exists. Seeing farm animals up close and learning how they’re raised and cared for by local families also is a highlight.

“Agriculture, community and family fun” are the priorities of the Lake County Fair Association, noted Chey Pribel, project manager for the annual event at a brief ribbon cutting before the games officially began.

“Lake County in general isn’t as much an agricultural county as some of the others, but we still do have plenty of agriculture in this county we want to show off and celebrate,” she later added.

In fact, the Lake County Fair Association’s mission “shall be the preservation of the past, promotion of the future, and education on the future of agriculture, horticulture, mechanical arts, rural and domestic economy of the Lake County community.”

The Lake County Fair is always the top-searched event on Visit Lake County’s calendar of events in July, said John Maguire, president of the tourism organization. He managed the fair from 2012-2018 as director of business development and marketing for the Fair Association.

“It’s a chance for locals, city and suburban visitors to experience a different lifestyle,” he said. “Most towns have their own festivals, but the annual Fair is the granddaddy of them all.”

On display are 4-H programs and competitions in diverse skills crafts, and many community organizations are represented, he noted.

Which is why four hours before the rides, food, and games officially opened, Lillian Shermer, 17, and others from the Glenview Clovers 4-H Club were preparing their dairy cattle for judging.

The Clovers are based at Historic Wagner Farm, operated by the Glenview Park District since 2004 for kids 8 to 18. Sheep and pigs from Wagner also are being shown and will be auctioned later.

This is Shermer’s fourth year.

“We get tons of questions. It’s fun to educate the public,” she said.

Jennifer Czerwinski, in her inaugural year as superintendent of dairy cattle, has been coming to the Lake County Fair for 13 years when the animals were more plentiful.

It doesn’t matter. “We’re still kicking,” she said.

This year, the fair’s five livestock superintendents have initiated a peer-nominated Stockman Award. It will be presented Sunday and followed by an open forum for fairgoers to ask questions about livestock.

With 22 members, the Clovers are among the largest 4-H groups in the state with a wait list each year.

Lindsey Bycraft, a six-year member of the Clovers, wanted to be Spanish teacher in her younger years. Now she’s heading to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study agrotechnology and dairy and food management.

“Kids from the suburbs don’t often get exposed to where their food comes from,” she said. “Now, because of Glenview Clovers and Wagner Farm, I’m going to dedicate my life to that.”