Hundreds of 4-H kids will show off their animals
By Barb Pert Templeton
Barns full of animals, a huge carnival midway, a splash pad, monster truck rides, tractor pulls and a livestock auction are just a few of the fun family activities planned for this year’s St. Clair County Agricultural Society Fair.
This year mark’s the 86th Annual County Fair and it will be held July 17th – 22nd, 2023 at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Michigan. Last year’s event included more than 600 4-H, youth and adult participants while fair attendance exceeded 145,000 visitors.
Admission to the park this year is $10 per person or $30 per carload while vendor and midway activities are an additional charge. Tram rides and live entertainment are free upon admittance to the park.
Peightyn Miller enjoyed showing off her rabbit, Ann, at a previous St. Clair County 4-H Fair. She’s the granddaughter of fair President Rob Usakowski.
Doors open on the grounds at 9 a.m. each morning when judging of the animals begins. The list of critters includes pigs, cows, llamas, horses, chickens, goats and rabbits.
The Skerbeck Family Carnival will be open from 2 p.m. until the park closes each night after the final event of the day. The list includes such things as the Flying Star Rodeo at 7 p.m. on opening night, July 17 through to the final night on July 22 when a Figure 8 Stock Car Derby begins at 5 p.m.
“At the fairgrounds many people just enjoy looking at all the animals and seeing the shows,” said
Rob Usakowski, of Kimball Township, who is president for this year’s fair. “But there are also over 200 vendors, not all are food vendors, and what we call the crater area which is the event area for the big shows.”
A new and exciting exhibit coming to the fairgrounds this year is one that’s being hosted and sponsored by the Port Huron Museum. Usakowski said the display will include items related to Michigan’s history including farm related items displayed at the fairgrounds farm museum.
A full six-day schedule of activities are planned for the 86th Annual County Fair at Goodells County Park.
The 4-H kids have two opportunities to earn awards for their animals at the fair. At one-point judges evaluate the animals on their own and then the child interacts with their animal and they are judged on how well they handle them, Usakowski said.
As he looks forward to another successful St. Clair County Fair, Usakowski said while attendance numbers haven’t quite gone back to pre-Covid days, they are moving in that direction every year. Participation is open to everyone and in fact the St. Clair County Fair welcomes lots of 4-H students from Macomb and Sanilac counties.
Usakowski first got involved with the fair some 20 years ago when his own children wanted to raise some animals so they joined 4-H. Things grew from there and today his oldest granddaughter is showing animals at the 2023 event.
Raising animals, including cows, pigs, chickens, goats, rabbits and horses to show at the fair is a staple of the 4-H portion of the annual St. Clair County Fair. Seeing very large swine is the norm, too.
“My favorite part of the fair is watching the first-time exhibitors and seeing their expressions when they win their first trophy,” Usakowski said. “There’s a lot to like about the fair so it’s difficult to select just one thing. Of course, I love the fair food, elephant ears and Carmel apples.”
A look back at the history
On the website stclaircounty4hfair.org a detailed history of the organization was put together by member, Raemi Kunath. It began in 1924 with agricultural teacher Fred Adolph in St. Clair who wanted to create a 4-H potato club, of which only boys were allowed to join. Within a few years young girls were creating a sewing club with projects that were soon be judged by a local 4-H leader in an event at Michigan State University. By 1937 a 4-H & Youth Fair was held in Yale, Michigan and it was quickly decided that a larger space would be needed going forward and the park in Goodells was thought to be the logical place.
The space at the park, then known as Infirmary Park, had no buildings except a pair of outdoor bathrooms. They tied animals to a long hay rope between the big trees. Hoping to improve the place the first meeting of the St. Clair County 4-H Council was held in 1938 and established plans including a constitution and by-laws for the council.
As the club grew over the years, an annual fair grew too and by 1994 St. Clair County passed a millage to fund parks and recreation in the county, and the Parks and Recreation Commission began. In 1996, the fairgrounds were renamed Goodells County Park and then in 1998 the SCCAS began leasing the Goodells County Park for the fair, and an additional 21 portable box stalls were purchased. In 2002 the 4-H Service Club building was turned over to Parks and Recreation, and all necessity for the SCCAS to maintain the facility.
To learn more about the 86th Annual Fair visit them online at stclaircountyfair.org or the Facebook page, St. Clair County 4-H and Youth Fair.
