By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Plenty of behind-the-scenes work takes place before the Barton County Fair opens to the public. Michelle Beran, 4-H youth development agent in the Cottonwood District for K-State Research and Extension, updated the Barton County Commission Tuesday morning.
"We do start pre-fair events on Saturday," she said. "We will start already this weekend with fiber arts, clothing construction, and fashion revue judging in the morning."
The 4-H Dog and Agility Show is Saturday, June 22 at 2 p.m. 4-H exhibit check-in begins Wednesday, June 26 from 8 a.m. to noon. A lot of judging will take place Thursday morning and afternoon before the exhibits open to the public Thursday evening. Beran said judges will have plenty of large and small animals to view.
"We almost doubled our beef numbers this year, which with the fair being a little bit earlier, we did not anticipate, quite frankly," she said. "Swine are staying about the same as where they were. Goats are always crazy numbers."
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 30, the best of the best animals will take part in the small and large animal round robins in Aaron's Repair Arena. Many counties do not have a small animal round robin, which will include dogs, dairy goats, rabbits, poultry, and bucket calves. The large animal round robin will feature horses, cattle, swine, meat goats, and sheep.