SCFF OFFICE

INFORMATION

VOL. 25 | NO. 5 | December 2020

Steele County Free Fair will be bringing

back the fun in 2021 with a vengeance.

2020 is a year that will not soon be forgotten, but we look forward to having one of the best fairs August 17-22, 2021.

Our crew is working hard to have the very best entertainment, education, and a variety of events that will ensure that you and your family enjoy each and every day of the fair.

The Beer Garden will have bands that have been here before but also some new bands. The bands will be announced at a later date.

Fair Square entertainment will begin as always with the Flag Raising Ceremony on Tuesday and end with the introduction of the 2021 OHS Football team on Sunday evening. During the week we have family entertainment, and each night will feature a well-known band including the Fabulous Love Handles, The White Sidewalls, and many others.

Family events will include Jurassic Kingdom (NEW for 2021), All-Star Stunt Dogs, Wood B Creations, and others.

The Reseland Stage will once again be geared for families. We have the Moogician back with us, along with the Dollipops and Jerry Frasier. And the Grandstand – you will have to wait for information on that. You never know what our staff has in store for you, but you know it will be outstanding.

Monday - Thursday 9AM - 4PMFriday Closed

PO Box 650 | (507) 451-5305 www.scff.orgsteelecountyfreefair@scff.org

If you would like to receive your Barker Newsletter by e-mail, please contact us and we will be happy to add you to the list.

UPCOMING

EVENTS

“You never know what our staff has in store for you...”

Steele County Free Fair Barker

August 21-23 a Drive Thru Food Fest was held on the Steele County Fairgrounds. The three day event -which took the place of the fair that was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – was met with perfect weather and over 6,000 vehicles driving through the grounds to purchase their fair food from over 16 food vendors. Volunteers and donations helped to make this the success it was.

Donations were received from:Tom Thumb Donut CorporationEvan’s EaterySchroder ConcessionsGrandma’s CookiesGoette’s Pork Chop SandwichMinneapple PieSchem’s Kettle KornJL United (Strawberries and Cream)Miner’s Outdoor and RecreationSkjeveland EnterprisesDino’sSteele County American Dairy AssociationGodfather’s PizzaTriple J – “The Fry Guys”

Volunteers Included:Annie and Dave GranlundMarc WieseJon DeMarsBen OlsonGreg KruegerSCFF BoardSCFF Grounds CrewSCFF Office Staff

Drive Thru Food Fest

A Huge Success

VOL. 25 | NO. 5 | December 2020

The Minnesota Senate on Thursday, October 15th approved a $1.36 billion infrastructure bonding bill that would deliver funding to critical statewide infrastructure, roads and bridges, and sewer and water systems. Several projects and programs

championed by Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault) and supported by Representative John Petersburg (R-Waseca) were included in the bill, including funding for the Steele County Fairgrounds, the Faribault Correctional Facility, economic development around local businesses, and more.

“This infrastructure bill is a great deal for Minnesota,” said Sen. Jasinski, who serves on the Capital Investment Committee. “It focuses our limited resources on the places that need it most — key infrastructure, roads and bridges, clean and safe water, and important local projects, including a number of projects here in southern Minnesota. It took a lot of work, but we should all be satisfied with the outcome.”

A matching State grant of $750,000 will be provided to Steele County to relocate all electrical power and overhead lines underground at the Steele County Fairgrounds in order to meet safety standards under the National Electrical Code. Under current statute, the fairgrounds would have to create a 15-foot buffer around all electrical boxes and lines — a severe burden to vendors, visitors, and other organizations that use the fairgrounds during the year. Moving the lines underground will be both safer and more efficient.

Steele County

Fairgrounds Electrical

Improvements

Because we did not have a fair during 2020, the Steele County Free Fair was able to help some of the companies throughout the community.

Did you go to the Mayo Clinic in Owatonna and drive thru the Covid 19 testing area? The little buildings and barricades that you have seen are the parking attendant shelters that are used during the fair.

Do you work at Viracon? Some of the handwashing stations that are throughout the facility helping with COVID sanitation rules are the handwashing stations that are used on the fairgrounds during the fair.

United Way Fund Drive is currently underway. The thermometers that were in Central Park have been replaced. You will be able to watch the United Way Fund increase on the digital signage that is located on the corner of 18th and Cedar.

When the restaurants were not able to be open inside, we were able to furnish picnic tables to some of them when they were required to set up outdoor seating.

Assisted both vendors and businesses by helping to arrange food booths at company events OHS Graduation Drive through at the Foundation Building OHS SHOC Red Ribbon Week drive through at the Foundation Building4th of July Fireworks4-H Events held at the Fairgrounds

“It took a lot of work, but we should all be satisfied with the outcome.”

We Have Been Happy To Help During Covid-19

VOL. 25 | NO. 5 | December 2020

A group of Master Gardeners got together and came up with a plan and appropriate plants that they felt would work in the designated area. The Master Gardeners planned a day to get together and plant the garden. The Master Gardeners purchased some of the plants, others were dug from their own gardens. They chose plants that could survive in all weather conditions.

The Master Gardeners planted a variety of plants including, 21 different varieties of flowers, and 7 different varieties of small shrubs and trees. Those varieties include Meadow Blazing Star, Stiff Goldenrod, Purple Coneflowers, Asters, Butterfly Milkweed, Little Blue Stem Grass, Black-eyed Susans, and Autumn Joy Sedum to name a few. Red twig Dogwood, American Cranberry, Black Chokeberry, and Hazelnut were planted to add some height and interest among the flowers.

The Master Gardeners maintained the garden for the rest of the summer and plan to add more plants and develop a dry creek bed to help with the water flow, through the garden. Plans are to use this as a teaching Garden for fair attendees as well as members of the community.

Thank You

Master Gardeners

Thursday, November 5th 40 individuals attended the 2020 Annual Meeting. Items that were discussed included the annual report for the year, the sprinkler system for the Kubicek Family Barn, and electrical work on the fairgrounds that needs to be done in the future. Election of directors was held and the following individuals were elected for a three year term: Tim Arlt, Jim Abbe, Mark Ditlevson, Rick Ellingson, Glen Meger and Brent Svenby. Thank you to all who attended. The 2021 Annual meeting will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021.

Membership InformationMemberships that were purchased in 2019-2020 were automatically carried over and will be in affect until August 22, 2021. Membership cost is $5.00 per person.

Steele County Agricultural

Society Annual Meeting Held

Todd Charles (aka “The Moogician”) has been a comedy-variety entertainer all of his life. His original and refreshing material that combines magic, juggling, music, and comedy, has taken him all over the world, performing in theaters, fairs, festivals, comedy clubs, and on cruise ships.

The show is all about FUN!

It’s a non-stop, quick moving, high-energy show! Todd loves performing, and it shows! Milk appears, disappears, switches places, pours, and doesn’t pour. Cheese balls appear, multiply, bounce around and juggle.

Audience participants become superstars, “Dairy-Ann” the cow keeps producing milk, and at the very end, she’s spinning around Todd’s head with her barnyard friends, one of the wildest and funniest routines you’ll ever see!Add some good down-home banjo pickin’, and you have one mootastic show!

He will be performing three times daily on the Reseland Stage. Sponsored by Hope Creamery.

The Moogician Is Returning!

SCFF.com

Join Us Next Year

August 17-22, 2021

Steele County Free FairPO Box 650Owatonna, MN 55060

Memorials Received

In Memory of Dale Rugg – Dan and Vickie DemlIn Memory of Harley Janke– Dennis and Nancy Janke FerchIn Memory of Allen Johnson – Dorothy JohnsonIn Memory of Mike Seykora – Noble RVIn Memory of Dave Kubista – Dale SpindlerIn Memory of Karl Christey and Eleanor Worke – Kevin ChristeyIn Memory of Michael Wesely, Shelly Deml, Carl Drache, Gordon Summers, and Les Getting – Francis and Patricia DemlIn memory of Oscar Dalle (Bench) – The Dalle FamilyIn memory of Mark Schumacher – Allan Radel Family

DONATIONS RECEIVEDEstate of Dorothy WavrinBrian and Lisa AhrensJoe and Donna SpeltzGerald GanfieldTodd and Mary HaleRichard (Dick) ReinhardtLuverne WanousFrancis and Pat DemlDoug and Jeanne PichnerLynn and Diane HolthusJim JoachimSharon WestGreg and Bonnie KruegerLarry HabermanRichard and Karen ReselandBradley and Tracie SpinlerDavid and Julie BrownCompeer FinancialSchroder ConcessionsSchem’s Kettle KornGodfather’s Pizza

Jim AbbeBruce BushoMark DitlevsonRick EllingsonGene FisherMike HamiltonTracy Ignaszewski

Sandy JireleJim LinderGlen MegerDoug MeierRoger NobleJosh ProkopecBrent Svenby

President Dan DemlVice President Wayne SteeleTreasurer Tim ArltManager Scott KozelkaCounty Liason John GlynnBoard Members