Maasdam Barns in Fairfield to host Barnyard Bash Friday

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce invites the public to attend the 2023 Barnyard Bash Friday evening at Maasdam Barns in Fairfield.

The free event from 4:30-7:30 p.m. will feature agricultural-related booths and activities for the whole family. It is being sponsored by Jefferson County Farm Bureau and Agri-Industrial Plastics Company.

Residents are encouraged to come on an empty stomach so they can take advantage of the delicious meals being cooked by Jefferson County Cattlemen and Jefferson County Pork Producers, which will have food for sale. Fifteen vendors will set up shop in the grass, including the Iowa Corn Trailer, a new addition for this year’s Bash.

Activities include a bounce house, a tractor-cade, horse drawn wagon rides, face-painting, barrel train rides, antique tractors, and demonstrations courtesy of the Maasdam Barns Historic Preservation Committee. The committee’s president, Tony Webb, said they will demonstrate moving hay into the second story of a barn with a Louden Hay Carrier, as well as making rope and shelling and grinding corn.

  Buy Photo

The committee’s vice chairman, Leon Connelly, said the demonstrations will be conducted between 4:30-5:30 p.m. One of the new demonstrations will be a model of a windmill, to show the public how farmers would use it on their farms.

Connelly said that this year’s featured horse at the bash will be Clydesdales.

“Clydesdales used to be about the same size as a normal draft horse, but Budweiser wanted something to look good pulling their wagons of beer kegs, so they literally changed the breed of the horse after the Depression to make them taller,” Connelly said.

Young children will get a kick out of the giant bubble-making activity, and some baby animals to pet, including piglets and Maine coon cats.

Farm Bureau will be presenting an award for the Conservation Farmer of the Year at 6 p.m. Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mendy McAdams said all the activities will shut down at that time so that all eyes can be on the award presentation.

McAdams said preparation for each Barnyard Bash begins the day after the last one ends. She said she’s grateful to the sponsors for putting on the event, which allows the chamber to keep it free to the public.

“This year’s Barnyard Bash is on the same day as a home football game, but you can easily come to the Bash and get to the football game on time,” McAdams said.

One difference from last year is that this year’s Bash will end 30 minutes earlier than last year’s, which ended at 8 p.m. McAdams said the vendors had to put away their booths in the dark, aided by light from the tractors, so they decided to end this year’s event a little sooner.

  Buy Photo

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com