Editor’s Note: This article was published in the July issue of HomeLiving, a publication of The Papers Inc.

By Nicholette Carlson
Guest Columnist

GOSHEN  — The Elkhart County 4-H Fair takes place July 18–26 this year. The theme chosen by Randi Yoder, 4-H Fair Board president, is “Taste the Flavor, Share the Fun.” In line with the theme, this year’s highlight will be on fair food. There will be a saltwater taffy vendor pulling saltwater taffy on-site, and a second authentic Mexican food vendor has been added due to high demand. A small, permanent building on Food Row will be home to the Dutch Kernel, selling popcorn. There will also be four eating contests Monday through Thursday during the fair at 4 p.m. in Heritage Park. Online registration will soon be open for contestants 18 years of age and older.

Each contest will be sponsored by a different food vendor and feature a different food item. There will be five nights of concert

Elkhart County Community Center.

lineups this year instead of four. It will start off with Barenaked Ladies, Sugar Ray, and Fastball on Friday, July 18. They will be followed by T.I.—the first rapper to perform at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair—Anne Wilson, Nate Smith, and the return of Skillet. Various entertainment is planned for the inner grounds, including duck races and a high dive performance a couple of times a day.

Since the Elkhart County Community Center was remodeled and expanded this year, it is now able to seat up to 1,000 people at round tables or be divided into four smaller rooms. All non-livestock fair entries are showcased in this building, along with the adult entries that were previously housed in the Home and Family Arts Building. That leaves the Home and Family Arts Building free to house a dinosaur adventure for all ages. The youth agriculture or Young McDonald’s Farm area will also have a new goat silo.

This year, over 3,000 4-Hers are signed up to show livestock and non-livestock projects. “I love being able to see the kids starting out in 4-H, and they have so many different types of projects and different types of things to try out,” Yoder exclaimed. “We are so thankful for the community support for the fair, with over 200,000 people who come out to our fair every year.” “Share the Fun” encourages community members to continue visiting the fair and to invite new people to see everything the Elkhart

County 4-H Fair has to offer—from food to projects to carnival rides to entertainment.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 4hfair.org.