Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Members of the Gogebic Fair Board met in the fair offices on Tuesday evening. Clockwise from left are, Joe Cayer, Chairperson Linda Nelson, Melinda Kostak, Stephanie Matonich, Dan Wood, Holly Ramme and Vice Chair Shelley Suckow.
By MEGAN HUGHES
Ironwood - The Gogebic County Fair Board met on Tuesday evening for its first meeting of 2025, welcoming several members and updating on the status of this year's fair.
New members are Joe Cayer, Stephanie Matonich and Dan Wood, along with returning members Linda Nelson, Shelley Suckow, Holly Ramme and Melinda Kostak.
As part of its annual reorganization, the board elected Nelson as chairperson and Suckow as vice chairperson.
Nelson also presented the board with a tentative schedule of events for this year's fair, which is expected to return to the county fairgrounds after being held at Ironwood's Pat O'Donnell Civic Center last year.
The board has yet to locate a carnival for the fair, but efforts continue, with hopes to find one in time for this year's festivities.
The proposed schedule follows, with some events not yet having exact dates and times and with changes likely to occur.
Thursday will see the arrival of all livestock and poultry entries from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the arrival of exposition entries from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The flag-raising ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. by the fairground's Turn 2 Saloon, and the market animal weigh-in will be held at 6 p.m. at the livestock barn.
On Thursday, the Fair Board is anticipating a performance by the band IV Play on the small stage.
Starting Friday at 8 a.m. will be livestock-judging in the show ring behind the cattle barn. Judging of exposition entries will start at 10 a.m. in the multipurpose building.
The fair is hoping to see the return of horse shows once again on Friday, with horse races anticipated at noon on the race track. The youth challenge will be held at 5 p.m. at the race track.
Harness racing again is expected on Saturday at noon. The tractor pedal pull is set for 2 p.m. on Pedal Push Way, with the tractor pull to follow at 2:30 p.m. on the race track. The bubble gum-blowing contest and chili pepper-eating contests will be held at 3 and 4 p.m., respectively.
Also on Saturday, livestock exhibitors and their animals will be available to meet the public at 4:30 p.m. at the livestock barn, with the market livestock auction to follow at 5:30 p.m. in the auction ring. The day will wrap up with the mud run inside the race track at 7 p.m.
Sunday horse shows are expected at 8 a.m. with the Tired Iron Parade at noon. The annual pie auction will be held at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m. the fair will host the Rice Rodeo Company of Medford, Wisconsin, on the race track, with the Gogebic County Fair Awards to follow immediately on the small stage. Livestock will be released from the grounds at 6 p.m., and all exhibits will be available for pickup by 7 p.m.
This list is by no means comprehensive, as the board continues to look for additional entertainment.
Chicken bingo will not return at this year's fair. In its place, Ramme proposed that the board host a game of regular bingo, with the understanding they would need to have a gambling license to do so. The board will look into the possibility.
"I will do everything within my power to come up with some sort of a budget," said Nelson, regarding upcoming fair plans.
In other news, the board:
- Discussed the empty position of fair coordinator. The board plans to ask the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners about posting the job in the near future.
- Briefly discussed the grant application process for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
- Approved claims and accounts as presented.
- Heard brief public comment about considering outside ideas regarding the fair. The board encourages the public to reach out and share any entertainment ideas they may have.
- Set the date of the next meeting for Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.
