Kenosha County Fair • Hay Bales & Cow Tails • Aug. 14-18, 2024
Schedule of events
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14
8 a.m. to midnight
Midway open: 1 to 10 p.m.
Wristband Special: 1 to 9 p.m. - $30
Sensory friendly rides: 1 to 3 p.m. –free (must reserve with the office in advance, prior to Wednesday)
All day – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Mobile Command Unit, ATV and Snowmobile on display (south of Poultry Barn)
9 a.m. – Junior Fair Dog Show (Fair Office)
9 a.m. – Open Class Judging –Clothing, Knitting, Crocheting, Home Furnishings, Flowers, Vegetables, Plants, Photography, and Arts and Crafts (Open Class Building)
9 a.m. – Open Class Swine Show, followed by Junior Fair Swine Show (Show & Sale Arena)
3 p.m. – Open Class Sheep Show, followed by Junior Sheep Show (Show & Sale Arena)
5:45 p.m. – 95 WILL ROCKS with a night full of bands featuring headliner Royal Bliss at 9 p.m. (Creekside Stage)
6:30 p.m. – AG Olympics. Public welcome to participate! (Show & Sale Arena)
6:45 p.m. – Racing Winged 604 Sprints, IMCA Modified, Street Stocks and Bandits. Gates open at 5 p.m. The
best dirt-track racing in the Midwest! (Grandstands)
THURSDAY, AUG. 15
8 a.m. to midnight Midway open: 1 to 11 p.m.
Wristband Special: 1 to 10 p.m. - $30
8:30 a.m. – Junior Fair Poultry Show (tent north of Poultry Building)
9 a.m. – Open Class Foods Judging (Open Class Building)
9:30 a.m. – Open Class Beef Show followed by Junior Fair (Show & Sale Arena)
10 a.m. – Scavenger Hunt. Get a clue sheet at the ticket gates. Turn in sheets by 5 p.m. (Marketplace Building)
10 a.m. – Pedal Tractor Pull registration, ages 5-12 (north of 4-H Exhibit Buildings)
Noon Amateur Wine Competition Results (Barrel Room)
Noon-2 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, Bear Cat Vehicle & TRT Gear on display (south of Poultry Barn)
2 p.m. Junior Fair Poultry Showmanship (tent north of Poultry Building)
2 p.m. – Flat Creek Highway (Creekside Stage)
3 p.m. – Open Class Poultry Show (tent north of Poultry Building)
3:30 p.m. – Junior & Open Class Goat Show (Show & Sale Arena)
5 p.m. – Antique Tractor Parade (begins at Antique Machinery Display and continues through to the grandstand track)
6 p.m. – Truck and Tractor Pull with Combine Demolition Derby preliminaries (Grandstands)
8:30 p.m. – Bootjack Road (Creekside Stage)
FRIDAY, AUG. 16
8 a.m. to midnight Midway open: noon to 11 p.m. Wristband Specials: noon to 5 p.m.$25, or noon to 11 p.m. - $30
8 a.m. – Junior Fair Horse & Pony Show (Horse Show Ring)
8:30 a.m. – Junior Fair Rabbit Show, followed by Open Class Rabbit Show (tent north of Rabbit Building)
8:30 a.m. – Open Class Dairy Show followed by Junior Fair Dairy Show (Show & Sale Arena)
9:30 a.m. – Children’s Parade registration begins, ages 14 and younger. Register by 10:15 a.m. (outside Fair Office)
10 a.m. – Pedal Tractor Pull Registration, ages 5-12 and 13-16 (north of 4-H Exhibit Buildings) 10:30 a.m. – Children’s Parade Begins (southeast end of the fairgrounds near the Fair Office)
11 a.m. – Pedal Tractor Pull, ages 1316 (north of 4-H Exhibit Buildings) 11:30 a.m. – Pedal Tractor Pull, ages
DIRECTIONS
The Kenosha County Fairgrounds are at 30820 111th St. in Wilmot.
From Milwaukee: Take I-94 south to Highway 50. Go west on Highway 50 to Highway W south. Follow to the fairgrounds on the right.
From Chicago: Take I-94 north to Highway C. Go west on Highway C to Highway W. Follow to the fairgrounds on the left.
From Kenosha: Take Highway 50 west to Highway W south. Follow to the fairgrounds on the right.
From Lake Geneva: Take Highway 50 east to Highway W south. Follow to the fairgrounds on the right.
From Richmond, Illinois: Take 173 east to Wilmot Road. Turn north on Wilmot Road into Wilmot. Straight ahead (Highway W) the fairgrounds are on the left.
PARKING: General parking is free. Season reserved parking is $25.
5-12 (north of 4-H Exhibit Buildings)
1 p.m. – Open Class Flower Arrangements, Natural Sciences, Cheese and Charcuterie Board Judging (Open Class Building)
2 p.m. – Conviction (Creekside Stage)
3 p.m. – Junior Goat Fun Classes (Show & Sale Arena)
4 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Unit Demonstration
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ADMISSION TO THE FAIR
The Kenosha County Fair has an all-pay policy. Everyone who enters the fairgrounds must pay the daily admission with the exception of those with a season or lifetime pass.
Fairgrounds are open 8 a.m. to midnight, Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 14 to 17; and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18.
General parking is free; season reserved parking is $25.
PRICES
$12 – Adult ages 12 and older
$6 – Children ages 7-11
Free – Children ages 6 and younger
$8 – Seniors (ages 65+) and active or retired military (must show ID)
$40 – Adult season pass, ages 12 and older
$15 – Children season pass, ages 7-11
$325 – Lifetime pass
Admission fee is non-refundable. Lifetime memberships are available in the fair office.
Making memories
Racing on Saturday night requires a $15 grandstand fee for those 12 and older, kids 11 and younger are free with paid fair admission.
No refunds for cancellation of any scheduled entertainment due to unforeseen circumstances.
For more information, visit kenoshacofair.com.
right: Jeanne Olsen and MJ Olsen, 4, of Twin Lakes, smile a family member while on the Ferris Wheel at the 2023 Kenosha County Fair. above: Everett Head, 1, of Wheatland, plays with tractors inside a bed of corn kernels at last summer’s fair.
JASON ARNDT PHOTOS Kenosha County Fair
Teens show grand, reserve champion steers
By Jason Arndt STAFF WRITER
Jacob Lois had many options to consider when selecting a steer for the 2023 Kenosha County Fair.
However, late in 2022, the then-19year-old from Wheatland decided on the first steer he saw and spent countless hours working with him in the barn on his grandparents’ farm.
The countless hours formed a strong bond, which played a key role for Lois, who raised his 1,450-pound crossbred steer he calls Tripp to become a grand champion on at the Kenosha County Fair last summer.
For Lois, of Wheatland Willing Workers 4-H Club, the victory came in his last year as a junior exhibitor.
“I have been showing since in fifth grade,” he said at the time. “It feels really good to win in my last year.”
Lois, a 2022 Westosha Central graduate, recalled the moment he saw Tripp as a young calf and immediately pictured him as an ideal grand champion candidate.
“When I bought him, he was the first
one I saw, and he had everything that I liked,” Lois said. “I named him Tripp. I actually didn’t know what I was going to name him. One of my family friends who helped us a lot told me to name him Tripp, and I liked it a lot.”
Since Lois began working with Tripp, he learned the steer had many fine qualities, including his calm demeanor in the barn and pasture.
For many months, Lois spent time grooming, feeding, and walking Tripp leading up to the victory.
“He has been an extremely calm steer. Whenever I walk up to him in the pasture and put a halter on him, he just walks along,” Lois said. “He just has a great personality and never does anything out of the ordinary. He has been a really good steer.”
Jacob Lois, son of Pam and Mike, has two older brothers named Brian and Kyle.
His brothers have also seen success at the Kenosha County Fair and Wisconsin State Fair.
In 2021, Kyle won reserve grand champion steer at the Wisconsin State Fair,
just behind Union Grove’s Tori Crisp.
“(Kyle) has taught me a lot about showing,” Jacob said.
Jacob Lois, however, didn’t only have a grand champion steer.
He also captured the senior showmanship contest with Tripp.
“For showmanship, you’ve got to know what your steer is capable of, and what it can do,” he said. “It pretty much takes practice and you’ve got to practice all of the time.”
Springer showcases reserve champion
Rebecca Springer, who graduated with Jacob from Westosha Central, exhibited the 2023 reserve grand champion steer named Winston.
Springer, a member of Brighton Bombers/Explorers 4-H Club, had a similar experience as Jacob, with the 2023 fair being her last as a junior exhibitor.
“It is my last year showing,” she said last summer. “It was a good experience, and I wasn’t expecting it either. I was happy and surprised and it was a good finish.”
Springer said capturing reserve grand champion was the best finish she had as an exhibitor during the annual event in Wilmot.
As for Winston, a 1,393-pound Maintainer, Springer said he was an ideal animal to work with.
“He is very personable and big boned,” she said. “When you get him out in the ring, he knows what he is doing. He was very easy to work with.”
Paying it forward
While both concluded their junior show careers last summer, Lois and Springer said at the time they had no plans to walk away from the Kenosha County Fair entirely, as they hoped to serve as mentors for future generations.
Springer said she looks forward to helping youngsters with their animals in the future.
Lois said he has extended family members who will continue the tradition of showing animals at the fair.
“I’ve got three or four cousins that show steers, so I will be back to help them get their steers ready,” he said.
Becky Springer, of Brighton Bombers-Explorers 4-H Club, walks her reserve grand champion steer in the show ring last summer.
JASON ARNDT Kenosha County Fair
Jacob Lois, of Wheatland Willing Workers 4-H Club, showcases his grand champion steer at the 2023 Kenosha County Fair.
JASON ARNDT Kenosha County Fair
On stage at the fair!
Music and the Kenosha County Fair go hand in hand. This year’s bands bring a range of genres, offering something for everyone on the Creekside Stage.
Wednesday, Aug. 14 will be 95 WILL
ROCKS the stage with a night full of bands starting around 5:45 p.m., with the headliner, Royal Bliss, at 9 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 15 will begin with Flat Creek Highway at 2 p.m., while Bootjack Road will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.
On Friday, Aug. 16, Conviction is set to
perform at 2 p.m., and The Glam Band at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 17 will feature a full day of events beginning with Aidan J Music at 10 a.m., the Crowning of the Kenosha County Fairest of the Fair at 10:30 a.m., Justus performing at noon, Mariachi Nuevo Mexico up next at 3:15 p.m., and The Now headlining the fair at 8:30 p.m. that night.
On Sunday, Aug. 18, the fair will wrapup with Doo Wop Jukebox at noon and the Class of 62 at 3:30 p.m.
Aidan J. Music
The Glam Band
Justus
The Now
Doo Wop Jukebox
Mariachi Nuevo Mexico
Bootjack Road
What’s happening at the Grandstand?
The Grandstand at the Kenosha County Fair is hosting events throughout the fair’s run this year. They include:
Kenosha County Fair Races
Wednesday, Aug. 14 • 6:45 p.m.
Racing! 604 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Bandits. Gates open at 5 p.m., racing starts at 6:45 p.m. Experience the best dirt-track racing in the Midwest, included with fair admission.
Antique Tractor Parade
Thursday, Aug. 15 • 5 p.m.
The Antique Farm Machinery Parade will go through the Fairgrounds and Grandstand area. Anyone with old engines, tractors, horse-drawn equipment, garden or farm equipment, tools, or any farm-related paraphernalia they would like to display are invited to join the Antique Farm Machinery Exhibit!
Located just inside the Kenosha County Fair Main Gate, the exhibit is a taste of yesteryear. See the old tractors, engines, and machinery from a time gone by.
Likely attractions include: an old-fashioned pitcher pump for drawing water, a rope maker that makes rope from bailing twine, how corn was ground into feed, and many types of tractors – including John Deere, Allis Chalmers, and Farmall. The rope maker also offers a chance to make a rope.
Truck and Tractor Pull, Combine Demolition Derby
Thursday, Aug. 15 and Friday, Aug. 16 • 6 p.m.
Badger Truck Pullers presents an actionpacked event of big power, big smoke, and big entertainment, followed by the Combine Demolition Derby over two nights!
Classes include: Superstock 6200#, Open Stock 6200#, Pro Street Diesel 8000#, Altered Stock Trucks 6500#, Pullers Inc. Pro-Farm, Pullers Inc. Super Farm, SCWTP Altered Farm, Street Diesel, 9500 lb. Farm Non-Turbo, and 14,500 lb. Farm Turbo.
Friday, Aug. 16 will feature the PI Motorsports Truck and Tractor Pull and Combine Demolition Derby finale and fireworks. The Truck and Tractor Pulls and Combine Derby events are included with fair admission.
Kenosha County Fair Races
Saturday, Aug. 17 • 6:45 p.m.
Kenosha County Fair/Roger Iles Tribute featuring The Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint series plus WingLESS Sprints and Lightning Sprints!
Gates open at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. for advance ticket purchases); racing starts at 6:45 p.m.
It’s an action-packed second night of incredible dirt-track racing. An additional fee of $15 applies for ages 12 and older.
Demolition Derby
Sunday, Aug. 18 • 1 p.m.
Experience one of the top Demolition Derbies in the country! The best of the best will compete in a crash-bang, action-packed event that’s included with fair admission.
Classes include: Power Wheels, Garden Tractors, Compact, Midsize, Stock V-8, Fair (weld), Mini Trucks, and Full-Size Trucks.
right: Beau Schwertfeger works with his 288-pound reserve grand champion Berkshire pig during the livestock auction at the 2023 Kenosha County Fair. far right: Brooke Linneman walks her 140-pound grand champion Oxford goat last summer. above: Henrietta Marshall and her granddaughter, Wynter Bautch, 9, of Bristol, have fun on teacup ride.
County Fair
Fairest to be crowned Saturday morning
The person selected for this prestigious role will represent the Kenosha County Fair throughout the upcoming year at a variety of local events around the county such as parades, community events, fairs, and more.
They will also be the host of the Kenosha County Fair five-day event that takes place the following August. As official host of the fair, the Fairest will be involved in a wide variety of events at next year’s fair such as judging sessions, contests, media interviews, greeting fairgoers, and much more.
During the final days of the reign, the County Fairest will have the opportunity to compete for the title of Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs at the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Annual Convention.
“This is an amazing opportunity to grow your personal, professional, and community engagement skills to use in your future endeavors,” local fair officials said.
The person who holds the title of Kenosha County Fairest of the Fair will be awarded a lifetime membership to the Fair, a $1,000 scholarship, and many other items throughout the year.
The crowning will take place at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 17 on the Creekside Stage.
SCHEDULE
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(south of Poultry Barn)
5 p.m. – 4-H Fish Casting Contest (Fish Pond)
6 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Unit Demonstration (south of Poultry Barn)
6:30 p.m. – Hay Bale Throwing Contest, all ages. Pre-registration starts at 5:30 p.m., $1 entry fee. Sponsored by Slades Corners Lucky Clover 4-H Club. (Show & Sale Arena)
COOKIES & CROWNS
Sunday, Aug. 18, noon to 1 p.m. in the tent east of the Poultry Building.
Want to feel like a prince or princess for the day?
Come on over to decorate crowns and sashes with the Fair Royalty and other past/present royalty. Aside from decorating your own crown and sash, enjoy decorating a cookie, which you can then enjoy with some milk.
Following your cookie, milk, crown, and sash building, a photo opportunity will be available to snap a picture with the official royalty present. The 2023 Kenosha County Fairest of the Fair, Wylie Jackson, and our 2023 Fair Royalty, Shelly Edmonds, are excited to host this 2nd annual event for the Fairest of the Fair Program.
There may also be a guest appearance by the State Fairest of the Fair as well!
7 p.m. – PI Motorsports Truck and Tractor Pull with Combine Demolition Derby finale and fireworks (Grandstands)
8:30 p.m. – The Glam Band (Creekside Stage)
SATURDAY, AUG. 17
8 a.m. to midnight
Midway open: noon to 11 p.m.
Wristband Specials: noon to 5 p.m.$25, or noon to 11 p.m. - $30
10 a.m. – Aiden J. Music (Creekside Stage)
10:30 a.m. – Fairest of the Fair
Crowning (Creekside Stage)
Noon – Amateur Home Brew Competition Results (Barrel Room)
Noon – Justus (Creekside Stage)
1 p.m. – Large Animal Livestock
Auction (Show & Sale Arena)
3:15 p.m. Mariachi Nuevo Mexico (Creekside Stage)
4 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, Taser Demonstration (south of Poultry Barn)
6 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, Taser Demonstration (south of Poultry Barn)
6:45 p.m. – Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series Racing / Roger Iles Tribute (Grandstands) $15 admission fee for ages 12 and older
7 p.m. – Pie auction. All are welcome! (Show & Sale Arena)
8:30 p.m. – The Now (Creekside Stage)
SUNDAY, AUG. 18
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Midway open: noon to 7 p.m. Wristband Special: noon to 7 p.m. - $30
11 a.m. – Parade through the Fairgrounds Noon – Cookies & Crowns with the Fairest of the Fair (tent east of Poultry Barn)
Noon – Doo Wop Jukebox (Creekside Stage)
1 p.m. – Small Animal Livestock Auction (Show & Sale Arena)
1 p.m. – International Demolition Derby (Grandstands)
2 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, K-9 Demonstration (south of Poultry Barn)
3:30 p.m. – Class of ’62 (Creekside Stage)
4 p.m. – Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, K-9 Demonstration (south of Poultry Barn)
7 p.m. – 2024 Fair Closes
For more information, visit kenoshacofair.com, or follow Kenosha County Fair on Facebook or @kenoshacofair on Instagram.
• Nick’s Kid Show – (Family Fun Zone) noon, daily as well as 2 and 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 3 and 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 1:30 p.m., Sunday.
• Barnyard Adventure Show – (Family Fun Zone) 12:15 p.m., daily as well as 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 3:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2:15 p.m. Sunday.
• The Canine Stars – (west of the Junior Fair buildings) 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Sunday.
• All American Lumberjack Show & Lumberjack Camp – (south of Antique Machinery Display) Shows – 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday; Camp – 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 3 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Pleasure Valley Pig and Duck Races – (west of the Junior Fair Exhibit Buildings) 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday; 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Sunday.
• Milwaukee Flyers – (Family Fun Zone) 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday; 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., Sunday.
• Bear Hollow Wood Carvers – (corner of 6th and Center streets) 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
• Discovery Barnyard – (Family Fun Zone) Education exhibits– 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (6 p.m., Sunday); Petting Zoo – 9 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (6 p.m., Sunday)
Strolling Entertainment
• The Real Beal’s One-Man Band – Friday to Sunday, a live mechanical one-man band providing lively, interactive music that is educational and fun;
• Magic Dave – balloon artist and magician, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 5 p.m., Friday; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday.
• Carnival/Midway - daily
• Antique Farm Machinery Exhibit - daily
Earlier this year, Wylie Jackson (left), 2023 Fairest of the Fair and Shelly Edmonds (right) 2023 Fair Royalty, welcomed Katrina Cain (center) as she started her reign as the 2024 Kenosha County Fairest. On Saturday, Aug. 17 at 10:30 a.m. on the Creekside Stage, the next Fairest will be crowned.
KENOSHA COUNTY FAIR PHOTO Kenosha County Fair
Fair fun
above: Bowen Rossi, 2, and Charlie Elfering, 5, of Kenosha, take a ride together at the 2023 Kenosha County Fair. below: Blanka Gorny, 5, and her father, Kris, of Poland, enjoy time together riding the carousel.
This year’s Kenosha County Fair t-shirts, featuring the theme, “Hay Bales & Cow Tails” can be purchased through the Fair Office. Adult sizes are $12 (extra charge for extended sizes); kids t-shirts are $10.
Sisters Mary Gillmore, 15, (above) and Madison, 13, (top) completed a sweep during the 2023 Kenosha County Dairy Show with both claiming the top prizes. The sisters are members of Bristol Challenge 4-H Club.
JASON ARNDT PHOTOS Kenosha County Fair
JASON ARNDT PHOTOS Kenosha County Fair
KENOSHA COUNTY FAIR PHOTO Kenosha County Fair
Fair
officers,
directors keep things running
OFFICERS
Current officers for the Kenosha County Fair are as follows:
Randall Rossi, President, Bristol
Myron Daniels, Vice President, Brighton
Don Epping, Treasurer / Secretary, Trevor
Norm Kazumura, Representative at Large, Trevor
Chris Klemko, Representative at Large, Bristol
Mark Edquist, Representative at Large, Kenosha
Dan Madrigrano, Representative at Large, Union Grove
Jenny Hesse, Fair Manager, Burlington
DIRECTORS
To be re-elected in December of 2024: Myron Daniels, Mark Edquist, Sue Kaminski, Chris Klemko, George Krikau, Amanda Pauloni, Rhonda Bell.
To be re-elected in December of 2025: Chris Leker, Eric Billingsley, Don Epping, Sue Grulich, Andrew Ironside, Colleen Knapp, Randall Rossi.
To be re-elected in December of 2026: Dean Elfering, Chad Daniels, Norm Kazumura, Dan Madrigrano, Julie Rossi, Matt Myers, Dave Zirbel.
