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Crawford County Fair adding events
eitserts rabbits
Laura (left) and Morgan Eitsert hold the rabbits they plan on taking to the Crawford County Fair next month. The sisters were visiting the fair office in the Gays Mills Mercantile Center last Wednesday and signing up their entries, including the rabbits, with the help of their mother and the fair coordinator, Amanda Nagel.

Wednesday used to be the entry and set-up day at the Crawford County Fair in Gays Mills and it still is, but over the last few years there have been more community activities added during the evening hours.

Things get started Wednesday night with the Crawford County Conservation Awards at 5 p.m.

The ‘Taste of Crawford County’ follows at 6 p.m. The ‘Taste’ is good way for local food producers, restaurants and others to share some tasty samples with fairgoers. Anyone wishing to participate in the ‘Taste of Crawford County’ is welcome to call fair coordinator Amanda Nagel at 608-412-4748 to reserve a spot or they can go online at crawfordcountywisconsinfair.com to download registration forms. There is no charge to the ‘Taste’ exhibitors and the samples they offer are free to those in attendance.

There will be plenty of ‘Taste’ exhibitors and there’s room for everyone, according to Nagel. Music will be provided throughout the evening by Tim-The Front Porch Picker.

For the second year, the ‘Taste’ will host a Wine Tasting Contest featuring locally produced wines. Anyone is eligible to enter the wine tasting contest with wine they made. There are numerous categories for the homemade wines. Complete information and registration forms are available online.

A totally new event for the ‘Taste’ this year is the Grilled Cheese Experience. It’s a contest in which amateurs, professionals and young chefs compete to create a winning grilled cheese sandwich. Contestants bring their own equipment and ingredients including the cheese and bread as well as compliments like mushrooms, vegetables or secret ingredients to enhance the grilled cheese sandwich on their way to winning the ‘Grilled Cheese Experience.’ There are prizes in each of the three categories and more information and registration forms can be found online.

Throughout the entire ‘Taste of Crawford County,’ the Quilt Block Jamboree will be in progress collecting quilt blocks to create this year’s Crawford County Fair Quilt. ‘Taste’ attendees will have a chance to vote on the quilt blocks and the top three selected will win gift certificates from local quilt supply stores Everyone is invited to bring up to three quilt blocks that are 12.5 inches square on any material of any color to enter in the contest. Entries should be submitted at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night so they can be displayed on board for voting during the ‘Taste.’

So, remember the Crawford County Fair actually kicks off with the ‘Taste of Crawford County’ at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. It’s a great way to socialize, while sampling the food and listening to some music from Tim-The Front Porch Picker.

Anyone interested in providing food at the Crawford County Fair’s Taste of Crawford County or entering the Grilled Cheese Experience, Wine Tasting Contest can find registration forms or more details online at crawfordcountywisconsinfair.com or interested parties can call UW Extension at 608-326-0223 or fair coordinator Amanda Nagel at 608-412-4748.