Gogebic County Fair celebrates anniversary in grand style

IRONWOOD - Great weather and solid crowds graced the 100th anniversary of the Gogebic County Fair in the final two days of its Thursday-to-Sunday run.

The public clearly welcomed the return of the event at the Ironwood fairgrounds after the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in last year's cancellation.

"We had beautiful weather. We had good crowds," said James Lorenson, fair board chairman, on Monday. "Overall, we were pleased."

Lorenson said that some people wore optional masks and engaged in social distancing, and he added that hand-washing stations also had a lot of use.

He commended all angles of community support, including sponsors, vendors, participants, visitors and volunteers. "The fair's success is due to the community," he emphasized.

Saturday was an especially busy day, with people bustling everywhere amidst a constant din of happy chatter. Long lines persisted at midway rides, as well as at a variety of aromatic food booths.

Joining strollers were livestock members whose owners took them for walks to give them a welcome break from their pens or stalls.

During the day, harness racing and a kids tractor pull were among major activities, while mud racing filled the grandstand and surrounding fence line in the evening.

Live music added to the charm of a colorfully lit midway, where people of all ages enjoyed a variety of rides and games.

The ambiance on Sunday morning was more peaceful as activities gradually developed throughout the grounds.

At the horse ring, kids and adults engaged for hours in gymkhana activities, with Diane Maccani of Bessemer acting as a reassuring moderator.

In the bat race, a bat was placed upright in the ground of the center of the ring, and children were instructed - one by one - to ride their horses to the site, dismount, place their hands on the bat and walk around it three times, after which they had to run out of the ring as fast as they could.

Parker Jeske, 10, was first in that event with a speed of 22.62 seconds. Theresa Anderson of Hidden Acres Farm in Ironwood, led the horse he rode: Buds Elite Missy, a.k.a. Rosie.

Anderson noted that Parker and his sister, Paisleigh Anderson, 3, also tied for overall grand champion in youth events. Both kids are from Ironwood.

In the catalog game, kids also rode by horse to the center ring and dismounted, but this time they were given the number of a catalog page to rip out before once again running out of the ring as fast as possible.

Starting that race was Demetrius Niemi of Bessemer, using a horse named Penny owned by Shyla Belzer of Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.

Amanda Niemi, the boy's mother, called Belzer "an absolute angel" for offering her horse since the Niemis' horse, Sasha, had just been purchased but was not yet available.

"He had a great exit off the horse," said Niemi of her son, who finished the race in 27.89 seconds.

Many other horse games were played by kids and adults, including a popular egg and spoon race and a new toilet paper race, which was a playful nod to toilet-paper hoarding during the pandemic.

The greatest noise on Sunday morning appeared to emerge from the poultry barn, where a variety of large and small birds seemed to be making clear that they were ready to go home.

The road behind the grandstand was filled with a new Sunday event this year, a Junk Hunt that featured a multitude of tables with vendors selling crafts, antiques, and a variety of other items.

Further up the road, Deputy Jesse Yesney of the Gogebic County Sheriff's Office was setting up a collection of junior deputy sheriff's badges, along with bracelets and candy for passing kids.

"I'm also showing them the kind of equipment we have," he said, noting sheriff vehicle options as well as search and rescue items such as drones and the office's new amphibious ATV unit.

Finally, noted Yesney, "Also, I'm here for the safety of the people." The Sheriff's Office presence was joined during the fair by other safety personnel such as volunteer firefighters and Beacon Ambulance.

Within the exhibition building, judges Jerri Ovaska, Danny Wanink and Brad Nezworski were judging pies in advance of a Sunday pie auction.

"There's only two kinds of pie I like - hot and cold," joked Wanink about participating in one of the most fun volunteer jobs.

The judges were allotting points based on appearance, texture and flavor as Clerk Karen Talkowski cut bite-sized pieces for them to sample.

Susan Evsich, who was in charge of the bakery area, said there were about 20 pies in flavors such as blueberry, peach tarragon, maple sweet potato, rhubarb, raspberry custard, key lime, ice-cream delight, dreamsicle, chocolate peanut butter silk, and fireball whiskey peach crumble.

In referring to local World War II veteran Tom DeCarlo, 95, Evsich said, "We have one gentleman that has been making his cherry pie for 15 years."

In back of the exhibition building, members of the Lake Superior Tired Iron Club visited prior to their own scheduled presentation.

Tractors from several different local towns were lined up with some households bringing multiple vehicles. Karen Mallum of Ironwood said that she and her husband, Randy, had seven tractors there.

Matt Luoma told the Globe that he and his father, David Luoma, were removing their vehicles early due to other responsibilities, but he was cheerful about their ability to participate.

"Hopefully, next year, we can stay for the parade," he said in reference to the tractor parade planned for later on Sunday.