The Polk County Fair in Fertile, Minnesota, is back for 2021 after COVID-19 canceled the event a year ago. The fair will run from July 7-11 in Fertile, Minnesota, at the Polk County Fair Grounds. There are plenty of fair staples as well as new events that can be found.
Secretary of the fair board Michael Moore said that everything is in place after a lot of work and planning, and they are fired up about bringing the fair back. “We’re certainly hopeful that it will be a big success, and the board itself is just fired up about it,” said Moore. “In many respects, it’s like starting over strangely enough. We booked a lot of things for 2020 we didn’t get to see, but luckily enough, we were able to carry them over to 2021.”
Moore admitted that they weren’t sure if they would receive the approval to put the fair on until recently. “The extension service that governs the 4H had a very long process and protocol, but suddenly they opened up, the governor said no more masks, and here we are.” Moore did say all people attending the fair should be practicing social distancing but that it is personal comfort. “We’re cautiously optimistic that people will enjoy it and show up,” said Moore. “We usually get crowds of 55,000 to 58,000, so we’re hoping the numbers will be similar this year.”
The fair will kick off next Wednesday on the 7th. There is a long list of events/things to do over the five days on the Polk County Fair website, but Moore highlighted a few big ones to keep in mind. “It’s a good ole standard lineup. After a couple of nights of rodeo, they have some excellent shows. Another event that is the crown jewel is the Baja Races,” said Moore. “It’s an event that the Polk County Fair created, and it’s become an event at many other local fairs.”
The Baja Races State Championship will take place Saturday night on the 10th at 6:30 p.m. Moore believes there will be roughly 120 to 140 racers competing in the event. The fair will end with a Demolition Derby and fireworks Sunday night. “Every county fair has a Demo Derby, and we’re hoping it’s a good one” said Moore. “First place is $1,200, so that’s a big size prize for someone to take home.”
Another fan favorite that will be back for the 2021 fair is the Dock Dogs. A newer event that has gone over exceptionally well with the fair crowd. “The Dock Dogs are back this year; there are a lot of area dogs and even some professionals that come in to compete in the events” said Moore. “We end up putting 66,000 gallons of water in the tank, and the dogs who are the performers put on a great show.”
There are more than just events to watch during your time at the fair, and the Hanson Memorial Stage will feature a great lineup of performers throughout the week. “We’ve got some wonderful things at the Hanson Memorial Stage, will have children groups perform, as well as three different environmental shows” said Moore. “The lineup is amazing.”
Other events throughout the week will include a 5K walk/run, a chocolate contest, and a talent show. The talent show winner will have the opportunity to go on and compete at the Minnesota State Fair in August. The Midway will also be open with a variety of different rides. You can purchase advanced tickets up until 5 p.m. on opening day.
To find out more about the complete list of all the events as well as who is performing and all the fair food you can eat, go to www.PolkCountyFairFertileMn.com or call 218-945-6708. KROX will have live broadcasts from the fair grounds 2-5 Thursday & Friday and 9-12 on Saturday. There will be trivia questions and we will also be handing out Grandstand passes all three days.
