Eau Claire (WQOW) - Another day
of good weather helped attendance at the Eau
Claire county fair Saturday. It was the second kid's
day for the event, where many families gathered to watch a brand new
competition that made its fair debut today.
"We really just
want to bring people in and remind them that this is a free event, and we want
to bring as many of the community members as we can," said 4-H Youth Development
Agent Sara Donnerbauer.
On Saturday at the Eau Claire County
Fair, there were plenty of options for the younger crowds on hand.
"Lots of different
little fun fair activities, games that cost a quarter since again we don't have
the traditional midway, we don't have the traditional games. This is a way for
the kids to come and have fun. You'll see the blue barrel ride that kids can
come and partake in," said Donnerbauer.
People of all ages were out enjoying
the event.
"We actually really
lucked out with weather; it could have been a lot hotter. And that's hard on
our kids, hard on our animals, and obviously hurts attendance. But we've had
great attendance," Donnerbauer said.
One of the unique
additions at this year's Eau Claire County Fair is the Cowboy Mounted Shooting
Show.
"You have to run
the course in a prescribed manner. You have to shoot five of one color, switch
guns, shoot five of the other. It is a timed event, there are penalties for
knocking over barrels, or dropping a gun, or missing a balloon," said Mounted
Justice Vice President Mary Pierson.
Competitors shoot blanks for safety
reasons. In its first year at the fair, there were already dozens of people
waiting for their chance to ride.
"It's set up for
anyone of any age. Everyone starts out at level one, if you're an adult, or a
teenager, or a wrangler if you are under 12 years old they'll start out in that
group. You compete against people who are at your same skill level,"
Pierson said.
The cowboy mounted shooting show begins
again tomorrow at 9 a.m. while the fair wraps up at 4 p.m. There will also be a
tractor pull and awards program for all competitions held throughout the fair.
