A Fair to Remember - Florence County Fair, Florence WI

"Raise the Roof!" Update

In the late summer and early fall of 2011, the Florence County Fair Board had a challenge in front of them. The roof on the exhibit

building at the Florence County Fair Park had major leaking problems and needed to be

replaced. At this time, the board applied for and received a grant for $ $7,433.70 from the Lumberjack Conservation Research and

Development Council to help cover the cost for replacing the roof. This left 50% of the project which still needed to be funded.

A letter was mailed to the residents and

businesses of Florence County asking for help. As always, the people of Florence County turned up to show their support for the fair. In addition to these donations, the fair was able to get Blackwell Job Corps on board for the labor to replace the roof. They began working on the project in April and were completed in the beginning of May. The fair board would like to thank everyone who made donations for this project. Make sure you take time to come see the new roof during this year’s fair.

Pie Eating Contest

It’s an old-fashioned contest coming to the Florence County Fair—a pie eating contest. This contest will be held on Saturday, August 25 at 5:00 p.m. This contest will be broken into three age groups: 7-12, 13-16, 17 and older. There is no cost to enter this contest, but space is limited, so preregistration is required. Prior to the fair, registration can happen by calling 715-528-4773 or e-mailing florencecountyfair@hotmail.com. Make sure to mention the name of the contestant and which age group they belong in. Once the fair begins, sign-up will be at the beer stand. The winner in each age group will be awarded a prize based on how fast they can eat their individual pies.

2012 Fair Results posted!

A brand new page has been created on our website. It is called "Fair Results," and on this page you can find the results and some pictures for:

- Kids Pedal Tractor Pull

- Classic Car Show

- Draft Horse Pull

- Best of Show for Youth & Adults

- Duct Tape Contest

- Recycling Art Contest (Sponsored by Great American Disposal)

Kids “Tea Party” with the Fairest

New this year at the Florence County Fair, kids are invited to attend a “Tea Party” with the Fairest of the Fair. There is no cost to attend this event, but preregistration is required in order to allow preparation for the event. Once you preregister, an “official” tea party invitation will be sent to the child/children registered.

The tea party will take place on Saturday, August 25 from 10—11 a.m. Kids may dress-up for the event, but casual clothing is alright as well. Those in attendance will share a snack with the Fairest — lemonade and a treat. They will also receive a little bag of party favors. There will be a craft activity — making tiaras and crowns, and a coloring activity.

If you have questions, or to register for the event, please contact Jessica at 715-525-4773 (leave a message if no one is there) or e-mail at florencecountyfair@hotmail.com. Please include your name, the number of

children and ages of the children you are

registering.

New Speakers

The Florence County Fair is working on purchasing and installing a brand new speaker system at the Florence County Fair Park. This new system will replace the old system for the stage and arena. By replacing this system, there should be a much clearer sound during events and activities such as the Opening Ceremony, Horse Pull and Little King & Queen Contest. This will also provide volume control, so that it will be easier to here the events happening.

This new system is going to cost the fair over $4,000. If you are interested in helping to cover the cost of this project, please send your donation to the Florence County Fair; P.O. Box 704; Florence, WI 54121. It is the board’s goal to have this system up and

running for the 2012 Florence County Fair.

Timber Cut

McLain Logging & Excavating volunteered their time and equipment to do a Timber Cut at the Florence County Fair Park in March. The timber cut involved cutting and clearing a couple different areas full of jack pine that had reached maturity. The areas cleared will be used for parking and for the rides and vendors to setup during the fair.

In addition to the donation from McLain

Logging & Excavating, Les DeCamara and Robert Westman volunteered their time and equipment to haul all of the timber. Thanks to there generous donations, the Fair Park was given $4,683.81from this Timber Cut. This money was put directly back into the Fair Park to complete the landscaping necessary and make improvements to the grounds after the Timber Cut.

Major Changes at Fair Park

Have you driven past the Florence County Fair Park over the last few months? Major changes and improvements have been happening, including (but not limited to):

A Timber Cut & Landscaping

- Replacement of the Exhibit Building Roof

- Painting of Pavilion & Beer Stand

- A new Veteran’s Memorial Wall—located behind the flag pole

- New ceilings in the office and the kitchen

- New picnic tables and benches throughout the fair park

Many of these changes are happening due to donations and volunteers throughout the area. The Fair Park is improving because of these wonderful people.

Click on any of the pictures above to see a large image from the 2012 Florence County Fair. We are currently in the process of planning the 2013 Fair. Make sure to check back on our website for more information on events and activities as we create Florence County Fair schedule for 2013.

Cookies for Santa

The Florence County Fair will be holding a Christmas Cookie Decorating Contest as part of Christmas in Florence. This contest is open to people of all ages and locations. There is no cost to participate in this contest. For more information, click on the document below.