The Central Iowa Fair kicked off its second day of fun in Marshalltown Wednesday. Despite the severe storms on Tuesday, hundreds of people attended the event.

Toni Kielly regularly attends the Central Iowa Fair, with her kids, Gage, 8 and Aiva, 5. Kielly said they enjoy looking at the exhibits and planned to watch the chicken show. She said the fair offered a special opportunity for her kids to see what they want to do as a career.

“We live on a farm, I want them to see everything that they have — cow shows, sheep shows — and see what they want to do,” Kielly said, “Maybe next year, we’ll bring stuff to the fair.”

The fair had a variety of activities and entertainment families could enjoy. Some of the activities offered were cookie decorating, an inflatable playground, a sandbox, putt putt golf and mock gunfighters performing for the crowd.

Families who attended the fair could enjoy food ranging from ice cream and shaved ice to Maria’s Tacos Mexican food.

Cookie decorating was a fan-favorite for many kids at the fair. The event started with a clown coming in to entertain the kids, then transitioning them to being able to decorate and eat cookies, while interacting with other children their age. Prizes were given out at the very end.

On the entertainment side, attendees of the fair could listen to DJ Nate or watch a mock gunfighter show, which was a crowd favorite. Gunshots could be heard throughout the show, startling and exciting the kids as they sat in the crowd.

Throughout the fair, kids were able to play with the animals, such as rabbits, that were on display.

Mariyah Hoskey, 11 and Peyton Husak, 8 are fairly new attendees to the Central Iowa Fair. For Hoskey, it was her first time attending the fair and for Husak, it was her second time. Hoskey and Husak enjoyed the pig races and viewing the animals, such as the rabbits and horses.

The Central Iowa Fair continues Friday, with events such as an Oreo cookie stacking contest, ice cream making, a fashion review, pig races, a dog show and the farmers market.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Marshall County Public Health Nurse Pat Thompson will also be present on the fairgrounds to give interested people the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations.

Contact Marquetta Evans at 641-753-6611 or mevans@timesrepublican.com.