Stalwart Fair Celebrates 102 Years of Agriculture

The livestock show at Stalwart Fair will return to the Stalwart Fairgrounds this weekend. The fair is Thursday, September 6, though Saturday, September 8.

The livestock show was returned to the fair after a 30-year hiatus, drawing more spectators and participants. This year, 39 youth exhibitors were registered for the livestock show by the August deadline, more than doubling the number of competitors in the 2006 show. Goats, poultry, and rabbits will be shown Friday at 2 p.m. Beef, sheep, and dairy will be shown at 1 p.m. Saturday. The show will be judged in an arena on the south side of the livestock barn.

Livestock will be shown in breeding and showmanship classes, and all young people, ages three to 19, are invited to participate in the show. Youth can learn more about showmanship and see how their animals rate among other livestock, organizers say.

This will be the 102nd presentation of the fair, launched as many years ago to celebrate the area's harvest and a thriving agricultural community. Set on the community's fairgrounds, the event continues to draw thousands of people to an unpretentious fair where horsepulls and homemade dinners remain two of the biggest attractions. Two horsepulls for lightweight and heavyweight draft horses, and a pony pull, will be offered over the weekend. The lightweight horse pull will begin at the Stalwart Fairgrounds arena at 7 p.m. Friday, pitting draft teams from around the Midwest against each other. Pony pulling at 4 p.m. and heavyweight horsepulling at 5 p.m. Saturday will give spectators additional chances to see draft horses and their handlers in action.

Other events that give people a chance to show their skills include the speed and action horse competition, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, a horseshoe competition at noon that day, and the garden tractor pull for children at 12:30 p.m.

The horse show will begin in the corral area across from the exhibit hall at 10 a.m. Friday, and includes judging the draft halter class, light horses in the halter, teams, lady driver, horses under saddle, and hitch class.

Horses will be weighed at the Pickford Feed scale from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and all horses brought to the Stalwart Fairgrounds must be Coggins tested.

A pet show will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, and competitors can enter any type of pet. Pets and their handlers will be judged on showmanship, best tricks performed, and behavior.

Anyone who wants to enter their best canning, art, hand-crafted items, produce, grains, fine arts, fabric creations, and other handicrafts can bring their items to the fairgrounds Thursday, September 6, to be entered in the exhibit. There are dozens of categories to accommodate creations. Works can be brought to the fairgrounds between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. that day. Early entries can be made by calling Penny Belinski at (906) 647-2611.

Exhibit judging will take place in the exhibit hall at 8 a.m. Friday, September 7. The doors of the exhibit hall will be closed until judging is finished. Afterward, the public can freely browse the array of homemade canned goods, quilts, crochet, paintings, and other home crafts and fine art.

Popular antique farm equipment demonstrations by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Antique Equipment Association will take place at the fairgrounds, and concessions will be sold throughout the day both Friday and Saturday.

Games for children up to age 10 will be offered Saturday at 2 p.m. A new inflatable bounce house, donated by the Barbeau Lions Club, will give children another activity this year. Noah's Ark 4-H Club of Pickford will operate the bounce house throughout the day Saturday.

The Stalwart Fair Board and Pickford Area Preservationists will display historical images and fair photographs at the fairgrounds. The fair board and Preservationists are seeking more images from the past 102 years of the fair, as well as any pictures from the Stalwart community. The images will be scanned and returned to the owner. Call Lawrence Johnson at (906) 632- 4203 or Mary Jane Pennington at (906) 647-9633 for information about loaning photographs.

The Stalwart Presbyterian Church will host its annual turkey dinner and silent auction Friday, September 7, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, September 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or as long as food lasts. The homemade turkey and ham dinner sold out early Saturday last year.

Dinner will be served at the church at 8089 East M-48, right next to the fairgrounds. The dinner includes homemade pickles, fresh vegetables, and pie. Volunteers bake nearly 200 homemade pies, representing at least a dozen varieties, which will be offered by the slice or by the pie. Turkey sandwiches are also offered. Meals are available for dining at the church or for takeout. The auction will include several homemade items including artworks, antiques, velour throws, gift certificates, home decor, and Lake Superior State University hockey tickets.

The church will continue its 15-year tradition of hosting an outdoor service at the Stalwart Fair grandstand Sunday morning, September 9, at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.

On-site camping is available at the fairgrounds for $10, regardless of the length of stay. Sites are rustic, and have no water or electricity.

As in previous years, the fair will offer its raffle and 50/50 raffle each night during the horsepulls. Ticket sales and admission fees are especially important this year, organizers say, owing to state cuts made to fair assistance funding.

Fair admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students, and free for preschool children.

Additional fair and entry information can be obtained by calling (906) 647-8870, (906) 632-4203, or (906) 647-2611. Donations are also welcome and can be made by calling any of these numbers.

All activities and meals will take place at the Stalwart Fairgrounds on M-48 in Stalwart, approximately 8 miles east of M- 129, just south of Pickford.