All fired up

Two major Jay County celebrations will come together this year.

The Jay County Fair kicks off this weekend — a week earlier than in recent years — and will continue through next weekend, including the Independence Day holiday.

The fair has moved around the calendar throughout its more than 150-year history, from as early as June to as late as September. In recent years, it has fallen on the first full week following Independence Day.

The change for 2025 came as the fair board parted ways with Primetime Carnival Company, which had provided midway entertainment for the previous three years. As the fair board considered new carnival companies, all would have required a change in fair dates. The board made the decision for the coming week in consultation with Jay County 4-H.

Kissel Entertainment (KisselFun.com) was founded by Russel and Ralph Kissel in 1932 when they began offering pony rides at a Coney Island amusement park near Cincinnati. The company is at the Bartholomew County Fair this week and will play the Kentucky State Fair in August.

“I’m excited for the ride company and then also having it on the 4th of July,” said fair board president Aaron Loy. “Fourth of July has always been big, the fair has always been big, so you put two of the biggest events in Jay County together that’s one hell of a party.”

Jay County 4-H has shifted its schedule by a day in order to complete its activities before July 4. Events begin with opening ceremonies at 11:45 a.m. today, followed by the dog and rabbit shows at noon. The 4-H auction will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 3.

Country music artist Nate Smith highlights the grandstand entertainment this year. Other events at the grand stand include demolition derbies on the opening and closing Saturdays and a new attraction to the fair with Queen City Stunt Circus performing at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3. 

The fair will have activities for extended hours on Thursday evening, July 3, with a beer tent on the Farmer’s Building lawn from 5 p.m. to midnight and East On Division Performing in the Farmer’s Building from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

“Going into the holiday weekend, we know people are going to be off (work),” said Loy, “so we’re just trying to provide as much information as possible.”

Traditional Jay County 4th of July activities will continue, starting with the Firecracker 5K race at the fairgrounds at 8 a.m. July 4, the parade from East Jay Elementary School along Meridian and Votaw streets to the fairgrounds beginning at 11 a.m., a flag ceremony at the front entrance to the fairgrounds at noon, free inflatables and a “foam party” at the fairgrounds following the parade and fireworks at the north end of the fairgrounds at 10:30 p.m.

Traditional fair activities will occur simultaneously, with concerts in the Farmer’s Building beginning at noon and the big country concert with Nate Smith at the grandstand at 7:30 p.m. Rides on the midway will be open from noon to close.

“We’ve got great free activities,” said fair board secretary Dillon Muhlenkamp. “We’ve got great activities in front of the grandstand.

“Overall, I’m excited about the 4th of July happening, incorporating two already amazing events into even better events and really showcasing what Jay County has to offer to our community.”

Another change this year involves gate admission times. Gate admission will now begin at 3 p.m. — it’s “free before 3” — and run until 8:30 p.m. Admission will be $5 per car load this weekend, and then $5 per person from Monday, June 30, through Saturday, July 5. (Season passes, which are good for entry to the fair all week, are $15 if purchased by today and $20 beginning Saturday. Other passes are also available.)

“With the ever-increasing costs of the entertainment … utilities and everything else, we knew that we were going to have to make changes,” said Loy. “It was either less entertainment and less quality entertainment or continue on the same path we have been. We knew this community expects a high-quality fair, so we made the adjustment to change the gate time. We felt just increasing it by a couple hours would be enough to offset those costs. We want to do everything we can to not do an all-day charge like a lot of other fairs.”