Largest EUP Fair Set for Aug. 27 to Sept. 4 at Kinross

Katie Carr of Rudyard grooms her horse, Scotty, before one of the many summer shows members of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Horseman's Association participate in throughout the year. Members will show their horses at the Chippewa County Fair August 27 to September 4. Chippewa County Fair in Kinross will open Sunday, August 27, and continue through Monday, September 4.

The Chippewa County Fair is the largest Eastern Upper Peninsula fair, and attracts entries from both Chippewa and Mackinac counties.

The 2006 Chippewa County fair quilt is a replica of the 2006 fair book cover, which was handmade by Debbie Nye of St. Ignace Township, and machine quilted by Kathleen Coullard of Sault Ste. Marie. Tickets will be sold for a quilt raffle drawing, and profits from the quilt raffle will go toward Chippewa County Fairgrounds improvements. The quilt can be seen at Mama Maloza's in Pickford.

Jaici Shiemke of St. Ignace designed this year's fair book cover, based on the theme, "Come See Some Tricks in 2006."

Lance Cryderman, Curtis Reich, and Sarah Halsey, all of Noah's Ark 4-H Club in Pickford, listen to Kaye Vining as she instructs a session on lamb showmanship this summer in preparation for the 2006 fair season. All of them have entries in the upcoming Chippewa Jim Kronemeyer of Pickford is this year's Chippewa County Fair Volunteer of the Year. Mr. Kronemeyer received the 2006 Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions Zone Six Volunteer of the Year Award, selected from among Upper Peninsula residents.

Mr. Kronemeyer has been involved with the Chippewa County Fair most of his life. He serves on the fair board, is on the contract and project committees, is assistant swine superintendent, and a bid spotter at the fair's market livestock sale.

In 2005, he spearheaded the construction of a new sheep barn by ordering materials and finding volunteers to help get water and electricity into the barn before the first day of the fair. In 2004, he spearheaded converting an open stall horse barn into an enclosed rabbit barn.

The Chippewa County Fair will open Sunday, August 27, at 10 a.m., with poultry and rabbit entries until 5 p.m. The Miss Chippewa County Fair Talent Contest will be at 7 p.m. at the 4-H building. The winner of that contest will be introduced as the new Miss Chippewa County Fair Tuesday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. before the demolition derby.

Charlie Halsey of Pickford (right) gets showing pointers from showing instructor Steve Fitzner (center) as Jim Campbell looks on during the early summer Fitting and Showing Clinic in Kinross, where more than 100 4-H club members learned tips on how to show their animals during the fair season, now underway. Local 4-H members will show their animals this week at the Chippewa County Fair. This year's Miss Chippewa County Fair contestants are Bernice Biron of Brimley, Alexia DePlonty of Sault Ste. Marie, Clarissa Harris of Sault Ste. Marie, Ariel Miles of Sault Ste. Marie, Katelynn Parr of Pickford, Kaylynn Portice of Pickford, Alicia Priehs of Pickford, and Kassandra Rader of Pickford. Contestants will be interviewed, demonstrate their talent, and read their essays to judges. In their essays, contestants were asked to write about the meaning of this year's fair theme.

Pony rides will be available each day of the fair, as will the "Kiddie Train" Wednesday, August 30, through Sunday, September 3. Kandu and Company Magic show, starring Jef Eaton as Kandu the Magician, will hold four shows daily, August 31 through September 5, with show times posted on the fair stage clock.

Bingo will be offered Wednesday, August 30, through Sunday, September 3, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Eastern Upper Peninsula Antique Equipment Association will provide daily antique equipment demonstrations Friday, September 1, through Monday, September 4.

All market livestock entries should be entered Monday, August 28, between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Rabbit judging will be at 9 a.m., and pocket pet judging will be at 2 p.m. Youth and open exhibits must be entered between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Go Kart races will be the final event of the day, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday's events will begin with poultry judging at 9 a.m., followed by open and youth exhibit judging, breeding livestock entries, and the USA Demolition Derby.

Wednesday's events will begin at 9 a.m., with swine judging, followed by sheep judging and the Demolition Derby.

Beef judging will open Thursday's events at 9 a.m., and a dog show, antique and classic tractor pull, youth horse trail and speed classes, and an evening thumb tractor pull and truck pull.

Friday's activities include a youth horse show at 9 a.m. in the arena, followed by dairy judging, goat judging, a garden tractor pull, farm stock tractor pull, harness horse racing, and stock car racing.

Saturday's events will begin with the draft horse show at 9 a.m., followed by a garden tractor pull, horse show, annual market livestock buyer's dinner and market livestock sale draft horse hitches, and the Lions Club Steak

Fry. Day and evening grandstand events include harness horse racing, an antique tractor parade, and Dafter Lions Mud Runs.

Sunday will begin with an open horse show at 8 a.m. in the arena, followed by lightweight horse team weigh-in, a garden tractor pull, the "sheep to shawl" demonstration, a garden tractor pull, chili cook off, the Master Stockman competition, an antique and classic tractor pull, and TriCounty Speed horse contest. Sunday's grandstand events include worship services at 9 a.m., followed by a pony pull,

lightweight and heavyweight horse pulls, and gospel music. Donations from the gospel performance will benefit United Way. All Sunday grandstand events are free.

Monday, September 4, will be the last day of the fair, and will start with a car show at 10 a.m. in front of the 4-H building, followed by the final garden tractor pull, a chicken barbecue, a pedal pusher competition, release of youth and open exhibits, and harness racing.

Additional information is available at the fair's Web site, at www.chippewafair.com.

A complete schedule of events appears on pages six and seven. The Chippewa County

Fairgrounds are on Tone Road, approximately four miles west of M-129, and about one mile east of I-75, in Kinross.