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OZAUKEE COUNTY FAIR CONLEY MEDIA JULY 2023 11 By Colleen Jurkiewicz Special to Conley Media CEDARBURG — When the gates open at the Ozaukee County Fair next month, a new promotion will allow attendees the chance to judge some of the best food on the grounds. Taste of the Ozaukee County Fair will feature cuisine from an assortment of vendors who have submitted entries in two separate categories: sweet and savory. Members of the public will be able to purchase the food items and vote for their favorite. The winner of Taste of the Ozaukee County Fair will receive a plaque from the Ozaukee County Fair, and patrons who vote for the winning fare will be entered to win a $25 Visa Gift Card. The promotion plays to the enthusiasm fairgoers have for the great variety of foods available at these kinds of festivals, explained Jamie Nevins, a member of the Board of Directors for the Ozau- kee County Fair. "Everyone loves the Sporkies at State Fair, which is a little differ- ent because it's voted on before- hand," she said, also noting that in the Sporkies competition is decided by a panel of celebrity judges who often have some sort of culinary background. With Taste of the Ozaukee County Fair, it's the public who gets to decide their favorite. "We may have someone who says they have the best gyro. It's up to (the fairgoer) if you want to try it or not, but if you do try and you think it's one of the best savory items at the fair, you can purchase the food, go on our website and vote for it," she said. "I think we have some resi- dents in our area with pretty good palates who will be able to help us pick the best." A list of par- ticipating ven- dors and their sub- missions will be avail- able on the county fair website soon, said Nevins. Patrons will be able to access the voting online by scanning a QR code that will be located near each participating food vendor. "We're going to try to go a little bit more digital this year with the fair in general," she said, adding that QR codes will also offer infor- mation for daily events at various locations throughout the grounds. Visitors to the midway will also see a new ride this year. Rainbow Valley Rides, the longtime amuse- ment ride supplier to the Ozaukee County Fair, is debuting a new offering called The VERTIGO. "It's over 100 feet in the air and it goes up and in circles — I'm dizzy just looking at the pictures of it," said Nevins. "It looks like it's going to be a wild ride." Also new to the 2023 Ozaukee Coun- ty Fair will be glass blowing d e m o n s t r a - tions cour- tesy of Hot G l a s s Academy, a mobile art craft, sculpture, entertain- ment and education- al service p r o v i d e r . Artists will d e m o n s t r a t e glassblowing of all different shapes and sizes, and the completed pieces will be available for auction on the final day of the fair. This is exactly the sort of offer- ing the Ozaukee County Fair thrives on, said Nevins — "free entertainment that's just a little bit different." From glass figurines to large serving platters, the glass blowers will be producing a variety of dif- ferent works, with something for everyone. "I think a lot of these would be nice decorative pieces that you can have in your home that have a nice backstory as to how it was made, where it was made — a little bit of Ozaukee County in your house," said Nevins. The Board of Directors spend all year meeting and planning for the fair, trying to envision additions that will keep the lineup fresh while still honoring the elements of the fair that make it so beloved. "What's nice is we have a large board that, beside just being part of the fair, a lot of us are involved in many other parts of the com- munity — through 4-H or through our jobs, we're always out in the community going to different things and events," said Chrissy Curran, a member of the Fair Board of Directors who is the Chair of the Entertainment Com- mittee. "We are always trying to keep our ears open." An event that was new last year, McCade's Joyride Car Show on Sunday, will also be returning to the grandstand this year. "Last year it rained, so we're trying again this year," said Nevins. "We're really hoping this year, weather permitting, we have a great turnout. A lot of people were really interested in going," said Curran. The show is open to all makes and models of cars, bikes and trucks. It is free to attend, but all proceeds from entry fees benefit the Farm Neigh- bors Care Campaign, an initiative of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation that supports the mental health of farmers. One thing that certainly isn't going to be changing this year is the mission to keep costs at the fair affordable for all attendees, especially families with kids. "We want people to come out, have a good time and not have to worry about how much they have to spend," said Nevins. Fair organizers hope to create an experience that will keep attendees of all ages coming back several days in a row. "There will be so many free kids activities, from magicians to the Nick's Barnyard Adventure Show," she said. "We always try and think of ways to make this a family friendly event that's easy on the pocketbook." The result is a solid communi- ty-building event that "feels like a huge family reunion," said Curran. "You catch up with peo- ple you haven't seen since last year at the fair," she said. The Ozaukee County Fair runs from Wednesday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 6. Admission to the fair is free. For more informa- tion, visit www.ozaukeecounty fair.com. New offerings at Ozaukee County Fair A food contest, wild new ride and glass blowing on the agenda for 164th county fair Photo courtesy of A.R.M. Rides The VERTIGO takes riders up a tower while spinning at a quick 10 revolutions per minute. Photo courtesy of Hot Glass Academy New to the Ozaukee County Fair this year is Hot Glass Academy, a Georgia-based company that will provide glass blowing demon- strations.

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