T-R file photo — During last year’s Central Iowa Fair, a clown creates and hands out balloon art to children. The annual event will be held this week at the fairgrounds in Marshalltown from Wednesday to Sunday.

After long-awaited family fun was compromised due to COVID-19 restrictions over the past two years, the Central Iowa Fair is proudly back in full swing this week from July 13-16, hosted by the ISU Marshall County Extension and 4-H.

The fair will be holding a variety of familiar events and family favorites including the anticipated return of the Pig Races which are held about three times daily and include a petting zoo for the racing pigs.

Other highlighted fair events include multiple 4-H livestock showcases and contests featuring a variety of species everyday of the fair. Wednesday evening, there will be a 4-H/FFA Alumni Showmanship contest among four divisions: sheep, swine, beef and goats. Any graduate and former member of 4-H or FFA can participate in this fundraiser for the Central Iowa Fair scholarship program.

“We’re hoping that the past 4-H members or FFA members from our county come back and participate,” Fair Board Vice President Jodi Breniman said. “It’s going to be a fun event.”

The fair will also feature Kid Land, which will again feature inflatables and the giant water slide from last year.

“If it’s hot like it is in Iowa in July, the kids will love it,” Central Iowa Fairgrounds Office Manager Shannon Espenscheid said.

Along with a plentiful variety of food vendors, cookie decorating and Oreo stacking will be held near Kid Land as well.

Thursday night will feature the very popular mutton busting, as kids bravely ride rambunctious sheep in the CIF Youth Rodeo. Following the youth rodeo is a performance by Hispanic band Los De Ladilla.

The STEM Activities listed on the schedule for Friday have been changed to the Fair Exploration Station, according to Landon Calderwood — County Youth Coordinator for the ISU Extension and Outreach office in Marshall County. The station will include a touring of the fair and showcasing different animal projects and a petting zoo presented by 4-H members.

All parking and admission is free. The only event that requires admission is the bull-riding event on Saturday which costs $10 per person.

Saturday’s main musical attraction will be a performance by Adam Whitehead.

Additional highlighted Central Iowa Fair events include the ice cream social, mud volleyball tournament, pepper tournament, tractor pulls, races, bags tournament and so much more. A full schedule of the Central Iowa Fair can be found on centraliowafairgrounds.net or the Central Iowa Fair Facebook page.

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Contact Andrew Ubben at 641-753-6611 or aubben@timesrepublican.com.