Kids Day at Henry County Fair brings educational groups to fairgrounds

By John Steppe, The Gazette

Not even 93-degree heat kept Sean Dunn from bringing his stepdaughter, nieces and nephews from going to the Henry County Fair Saturday, determined to pop a pink balloon in a dart game at the carnival.

'(It's) something exciting to do,” said Dunn, who was making his first trip to the fair. 'There isn't a whole lot to do in town very often.”

The fair went beyond just having fun, though. As part of Kids Day, groups came out to the fair to provide educational activities for kids.

'They also get to have fun and then learn a little bit,” Dunn said.

Henry County Conservation Department had a tent with live animals. The department rotated between bringing a tortoise and two snakes to protect the animals from the heat.

'They love the live animals,” said Cari Nicely, the naturalist for the Henry County Conservation Department and a Mt. Pleasant resident. 'As long as we have the live animals out, (the kids) are completely engaged.”

The theme for this year's conservation message is dinosaurs and reptiles, and the difference between the two. The department had lines of string along the grass to show the strides of different reptiles and dinosaurs, which Nicely said is a popular part for children.

'That's kind of an eye-opener,” Nicely said. 'We've had a lot of the kids - and adults - say, ‘Oh my goodness.' That's a pretty big reptile.”

Mike Finarty, a 46-year-old farmer from Knoxville, Iowa, brought the Iowa Corn Mobile Education Unit to the fair to advocate for the benefits of corn to everyday life.

'The goal of this trailer is to really connect (all consumers) to why this corn that we grow out in our fields in Iowa is so important,” Finarty said. 'That doesn't matter if you're a consumer in Iowa or if you're a consumer in New York, L.A. or Florida.”

He had a variety of corn-related giveaway items including cornfed wristbands, erasers that looked like corn in a plastic cup made from corn products.

Both Nicely and Finarty said parents have also learned at the event. Finarty uses the example of kids' diapers having corn products in it to get parents interested in the subject.

'With kids, there are always the parents, so we have an opportunity to help teach the parents also,” Finarty said.

Sometimes it's easier for parents to understand the complexities of corn usage, but Finarty said he believes there's a good message for kids, too.

'For kids, what the real point here is, ‘Corn can be fun,” Finarty said as he showed a kid a booklet with recipes for corn putty and corn plastic. 'We can make fun items for kids, and it's safe for the environment.”

Other features included an obstacle course and a water game to keep kids cool. But it didn't have many participants. The 93-degree heat kept many people inside. One vendor estimated the weather hurt attendance by 80 percent. Nicely also noticed the attendance drop at her tent and attributed the heat as 'the culprit.”

The rest of the fairgrounds had mixed success in attendance. The 4H fair area had limited attendance despite also giving kids a chance to learn by decorating fair booths.

'The kids always do presentations, and so they learn how to speak in front of a group,” said Cally Schlee, who works with the 4-H kids.

The biggest hit remained the 2019 Henry County Beef Show, which involved more than 80 competitors. Mitchell Moothart, 16, has participated in the beef show since he was in fourth grade.

'I've learned quite a bit,” said Moothart, who lives in Mount Pleasant.

Meanwhile, Finarty is waiting for the next corn invention - erasers made from corn - so he can include that at future fairs.

'That'll be the next goal for us to do,” Finarty said.