MOUNT VERNON — Several new events at the Knox County Fair this year went over well and are very likely to continue next year, according to fair board member Jim Shipley.
The celebrity harness race that took place July 20 went very well and increased the turnout for the day.
“It went extremely great [and] we probably had one of the biggest crowds on a Sunday afternoon,” said Shipley. “I’m sure we’ll do it next year.”
Shipley also said that observers from other counties were impressed with the event and may initiate it at other county fairs. Possibly, said Shipley, this would lead to a final event at the Coshocton County Fair, although things are still tentative at this point. He said he would bring it up at a meeting in December when representatives from all 17 county fair boards in the district will be present.
Another new event at the fair — the school bus races — also went over well.
“People loved it,” said Shipley. “They wanted to see them crash up, and we had some crashes; some of them tore their buses up pretty bad and I’m sure we’ll have it next year if we can get buses bought.”
According to Shipley, he and other members of the fair board observed school bus racing last year at the Delaware County Fair, and wanted to try it this year at the Knox County Fair. The buses for this year’s race were bought near Lima, then driven back to Mount Vernon by members of the fair board.
“We’d like to have more [school buses to race] next year,” said Shipley, “so we can have more heats. It was just something we tried this year.
“That’s what we want to do again: Get on the ball and get them bought and get them down here,” said Shipley, explaining that ideally, the school buses for next year would be purchased by early spring.
Yet another new item at the fair this year was $3 entry for seniors before 5 p.m., with a Golden Buckeye card.
“We had so much input on that, it was unreal,” said Shipley.
He spoke of a woman who approached him and told him there were more seniors in the afternoons than any year previously.
“The reason we change that at five o’clock is that’s when we get busy at the gate and it saves a lot [of time] for the gatekeepers making change,” said Shipley. “But we give them all day ... and they really did love it.”
