Living History Farms will re-create an 1875 Farmers Fair Saturday and Sunday, August 7-8, complet…

By Kalona News

Living History Farms will re-create an 1875 Farmers Fair Saturday and Sunday, August 7-8, complete with demonstrations and entertainment common at county fairs of the time period. Farmers Fair is celebrated five days before the Iowa State Fair opens and offers an opportunity to compare how Iowans enjoyed fairs in 1875 to the activities and exhibitions offered at today’s fair.

Farmers Fair includes plowing trials, displays of livestock breeds common in Iowa in the 19th century, the latest in 1875 farm machinery, music, gentlemen’s wrestling and Hegstrom’s Traveling Museum of Curiosities. There will also be Amos Sweet’s Medicine Show at 1:30 p.m. both days, an 1870’s-rules baseball game at 2 p.m. each day, and tug of war matches, foot races and other historical games open to public participation.

The event is sponsored by the fictitious Walnut Hill Agricultural and Mechanical Improvement Society. County fairs were dedicated to advancing the cause of livestock breeding, farm mechanization, horticulture, progressive farming, and the domestic and mechanical arts. To promote these causes, societies brought in exhibitors from throughout the community to entertain and educate visitors at the fairs. Tents on the Living History Farms fairgrounds will show farm implements and machines, livestock, displays of various trades, farm produce, baked goods and home made items.

Living History Farms open May 1 through the third Sunday in October, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admissions are: Adults $8; Child, (4-12), $5; Senior Citizen (60+), $7. For a special events update, call (515)278-2400. Living History Farms is a non-profit, historical, educational foundation located at 2600 NW 111th St., Urbandale, Iowa. Operations and maintenance are dependent upon gate receipts, memberships and contributions.