The Marion County Fair opened to the public June 28. Lines of visitors were formed outside food vendors, while the harness racing brought lively fans out to the grandstands.
The opening ceremony honored Karen Seckel, who oversaw the arts & crafts building at the Marion County Fair for many years. She cut the ribbon, opening the fair to the public.
Harness racing is a type of horse racing where the driver sits in a two-wheeled cart behind the horse.
As horses raced around the track, onlookers yelled out their favorite horse’s name. Harness racing will take place for a second day June 29 at 11 a.m.
While rides weren’t open for the first day of the fair, vendors were ready for fairgoers. A line of fried food and sweet treats filled the main road on the fairgrounds.
Visitors could enjoy everything from funnel cakes, cheese curds, kettle corn, fresh lemonade and more.
A group of teenagers gathered around a boxing machine arcade game when Carter Farley, 14, began to wind up.
He hit one of the higher scores of the group: 885.
Farley’s friend, Michael Ralph, cheered him on as he made his punch.
“Just hanging out with my friends,” Ralph said when asked what he was looking for to. “And meeting new girls.”
Peyton McMahan prepared for his last year showing livestock after doing it for nine years.
“Showing the animals, it takes serious dedication to make sure their the best they could possibly be,” McMahan said. “Doing good at the fair is like showing that all the hard work you do is worth it.”
The Marion County Fair will run every day until July 4 with different events and entertainment throughout the week.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: The first day of Marion County Fair featured harness racing and games
Reporting by Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star / Marion Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star | USA TODAY Network
