Board plans to host a full County Fair this year

After being all but canceled last year, the 2021 Ozaukee County Fair is scheduled to be held as usual July 28 through Aug. 1 at the fairgrounds in Cedarburg.

“We’ve been working on this, obviously, kind of continuously,” Ozaukee County Fair Board president Mark Larson said. “We’re planning on a full fair. I’ve talked to the health department recently, I’ve talked to the county, I’ve talked to the firemen. We’ll adjust to the circumstances if anything comes up. We’ll look into whatever it is we need to do to have a full fair.”

  Last July, Ozaukee County Fair officials announced that the 2020 fair, originally planned to be held with some limitations, would be restricted to just a few 4-H-related activities and not be open to the public due to rising concerns over Covid-19.

Larson said Washington Ozaukee County Public Health Department Interim Director Tyler Weber “has been very positive” and “optimistic” that a full fair can be staged in Ozaukee County this summer.

“We’re anticipating that the CDC is gonna lift recommendations about masks in outdoor settings and that type of thing,” Larson noted. “We’re essentially an outdoor event. We’ll just have to see what everybody’s recommendations are as we get closer, but we’re operating with the idea that we’re gonna be able to have a full fair and we will, like last year, respond as circumstances change, depending on what recommendations are at the time of our fair. We’ll adjust as needed.”

Larson said headlining acts have already been been booked for the fair.

“Everybody we were planning on having last year, with the exception of the bullriding, was able to push everything off contractually for a year,” he said.

Fair hours will be Wednesday noon to midnight, Thursday through Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 8 a.m to 6 p.m.

Judging schedules will be available after June 1.

Founded in 1859 and today one of the last free-admission fairs in the Midwest, the 162-year-old Ozaukee County Fair has been offering traditional county fair entertainment, including live music, truck and tractor pulls, a full midway, fireworks, demolition derbies, horse shows, contests, 4-H and livestock exhibitions and judging, and kids entertainment.

The 2021 Fairest of the Fair is 20-year-old third generation 4-H member Mackenzie Neumann of Cedarburg,  a communication and media studies major and leadership minor at St. Norbert College in De Pere. Neumann will graduate early from St. Norbert College this month.

For more information about the Ozaukee County Fair, call 375-6185 or visit www.ozaukeecountyfair.com.

While the Ozaukee County Fair is on, the Cedarburg Fire Department, citing lingering Covid-19 concerns, has cancelled its first two Maxwell Street Days fundraisers for 2021, which were scheduled for May 30 and July 11 at adjacent Fireman’s Park.

“We’re working elbow-to-elbow in these stands,” said Fire Chief Jeff Vahsholtz of department volunteers working busy concession stands at the outdoor flea market.

All four Maxwell Street Days flea markets were canceled in 2020 due to Covid-19.

The Cedarburg Fire Department has held four Maxwell Street Days events annually since the fundraiser’s 1966 debut.

The Cedarburg Fire Department’s last two Maxwell Street Days dates for 2021 are tentatively still slated to take place as scheduled on Sept. 5 and Oct. 3 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Taking a page from last year, when the Cedarburg Fire Department pivoted to three drive-through brat fry fundraisers at Fireman’s Park, the department will be holding three drive-through brat fry fundraisers again this year from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays May 15, June 19 and July 10.