A county tradition where dreams and hopes are harvested

The Baltimore Sun

From arts and crafts to zinnias, garden tractors to monster tractors, rabbits to beef cattle, hogs to horses, fashions to photos, welding to writing, to music and dancing, the 110th Carroll County 4-H/FFA Fair has it all for free.

This year's fair, with the theme "Harvest Your Dreams," opens Saturday and ends Aug. 3 at the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Westminster.

"It's different displays that are geared toward their future hopes and plans," said Kathy Gordon, a Cooperative Extension 4-H and youth educator. "We are a very large fair, with lots of animals and the whole theme of agriculture."

More than 800 4-H youths will be working this week to finalize their projects. Many will have projects in multiple areas - an animal, maybe several, plus a craft, garden flower, handmade clothing item or cake.

Judges will award ribbons to everything from a bud vase to the champion steer. Youths from ages 6 to 18 will demonstrate the skills they have learned in the past year in their club or clubs.

The two big events for the 4-H'ers are the cake auction Aug. 1 and the livestock auction Aug. 3. Both auctions draw hundreds of individuals and businesses who spend tens of thousands of dollars supporting the fair and its youth.

There are plenty of activities for all ages.

Children's Day is Tuesday.. On Thursday, seniors gets its turn to compete for ribbons and enjoy entertainment.

A pre-fair fundraiser will feature local tractor drivers competing to see whose machine can pull the most weight, starting at 5 p.m. Friday. Then, the Interstate Truck and Tractor Pullers will gear up at 7:30 p.m. for the main event tractor pull. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for ages 5 to 13.

Those needing to vent their frustrations might want to enter another new event - a car Demolition Derby at 7:30 p.m. July 30. Entry ($25) is open to anyone age 18 or older, or 16 with a parental consent and medical form.

"It's a unique sport, and until you've driven in one you have no idea what it's about until you back up and smash into the car behind you," said Frank Roberts, manager of Stoney Roberts Promotions, who is handling the derby. "It's an adrenalin rush. You just step on the pedal, and let it go and hang on for dear life."

Participants must furnish a stripped-down car to smash. Roberts' team inspects all cars for safety rules. Drivers must wear a helmet, eye protection and safety belt.

"We're always looking for new and different things and hoping for a good turnout," said Debbie Weishaar, fair manager. "Also, Monday night has typically been a slow night, so we were looking to kind of jazz up that night."

For details and to enter the Demolition Derby, call Weishaar at 410-857-8351 or Roberts at 888-361-5767.

Another new car event is Fast Action Motorsports Entertainment's computerized 1/10 scale racing cars on a 16-foot by 24-foot banked track.

"That's sponsored by local businesses, and the cars are designed by the business for the public to race for free," Weishaar said.

Races will be held as follows: Saturday at noon, 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; July 29 at noon, 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.; July 30 and Aug. 1 at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; July 31 and Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Daily winners will compete in a championship race at 8 p.m. Aug. 3.

For more old-fashioned farm-oriented activities, visitors can watch the carriage show at 10 a.m., a mule show and jump at 1 p.m., a horse drill team at 3:30 p.m., and the fair parade at 6 p.m., all on July 29.

Music lovers will enjoy several special concerts through the week.

"The Santmyer Family normally do not get together and play anymore, but we had a request from a fair board member and they agreed to get together and play for us," Weishaar said. "I asked if they would play July 29 at 7:30 p.m., and they said yes. It's a rare appearance for them."

The big-name country performer this year is Jason Michael Carroll, whose 8 p.m. concert Aug. 3 will benefit the Carroll County Advocacy and Investigation Center.

A minimum $10 donation is requested to help abused children. The singer's debut song, "Alyssa Lies," deals with a little girl who was abused, told from a classmate's perspective.

"It's a beautiful song and a real tearjerker," Weishaar said. "The proceeds will go right to the kids. That's one thing we talked to the [advocacy and investigation] center about, we wanted an organization that would actually give the money to the kids, and not to administrative costs."

Jay Henley and Stone Broke Band will open for Carroll.

And what's a fair without animals?

Hundreds will be on display: chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, pigs, alpacas, cattle, sheep and horses.

"The swine committee cut numbers by limiting how many pigs a child can show this year," Weishaar said. "We did four days last year to get them all in, all the kids that had pigs. I am told we are the largest pig show on the East Coast."

Outside the serious competition will be the pig and duck races.

This year also will feature more vendors: from new foods like crab dogs to vehicle detail designers and dealerships.

For those going to the fair, there is a new entrance to the Agriculture Center.

An access road has been constructed off Gist Road to the grounds, and Smith Avenue entrances have been fenced off.

"All exhibitors and fairgoers need to go in there, rather than Smith Avenue," said Gordon. "We will have people who will direct traffic and help people if you're handicapped or need other assistance, and we're hoping to have shuttles between the buildings and grounds."

ellie.baublitz@baltsun.com

The 4-H/FFA Fair is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Saturday through Aug. 3 at the Carroll County Agriculture Center on Smith Avenue extended, Westminster. Admission is free, except for noted fundraisers. Information: 410-848-3247.

BY THE NUMBERS

4-H Club members: more than 1,000

Clubs: 45

Volunteers: more than 240

Fair exhibitors: 800

Indoor fair entries: 12,980 (pre-entered)

Animal entries: 4,500

Highest price paid for grand champion cake at cake auction: $6,100 in 2006

Number of cakes auctioned last year: 213

Proceeds from last year's cake auction: $57,170

Highest price paid for grand champion animals at livestock auction last year: steer, $6,568; lamb, $1,179; hog, $1,683.50

Number of animals auctioned last year: 319

Proceeds from last year's livestock auction: $283,634

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