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High temperatures hurt turnout at Warren County Fair

Hannah Topmiller of Pleasant Plain cools off her beef cattle July 19 during the Warren County Fair. When asked about the heat, Hannah's mother, Kathlenee, said, "We are being proactive. She worked really hard to get here, so we are working to keep them comfortable." Staff photo by Greg Lynch

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By Richard Wilson, Staff Writer Updated 4:09 PM Wednesday, July 27, 2011

LEBANON — High temperatures resulted in low turnout at the Warren County Fair last week.

About 4,500 fewer people attended the week-long event that was plagued with daily heat advisories, roughly a 10 percent drop from previous years, according to Tari Maddox, Warren County Fair secretary.

“We have not had a hotter fair. It was just beyond hot last week,” Maddox said. “We’re happy to get through it and that everyone was safe. We hope for cooler weather next year.”

Temperatures increased a little every day to a high of 97 degrees July 21 — humidity levels averaged above 70 percent, according to the National Weather Service.

Conditions could have been worse.

Climate records show the hottest it has ever been for the same week was in 1934. Temperatures averaged above 100 degrees, with a high of 108 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat and humidity didn’t dampen livestock sales. Total sales of cattle, hogs and other farm animals were about $480,000, up about 10 percent from last year, Maddox said.

On Saturday, a thunderstorm threatened to derail the auction of all the animals except hogs. But the resulting downpour drove folks into the auction arena.

It was reminiscent of fair auctions from the mid-20th century, with the large crowd standing close to the auctioneer and animals, said an official at the Warren County OSU extension office.

While other county fairs have struggled, Warren County Fair has experienced an increasing trend in attendance and participation.

There was an increase in 4-H participation this year, with 1,007 youths caring for animals and entering a number of other projects, up from about 990 in previous years, Maddox said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.

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