2018 fair-print

2018 Logan County Fair Lincoln Daily News July 29 - August 5, 2018 Page 69 One such night came in 2013 when rainy weather forced the crowds to gather inside the north exhibit barn and the queen contestants onto the much smaller Lincoln Stage. It wasn’t the first time that had ever happened, although fact is it doesn’t happen as often as one would think. On that night, LDN’s Jan Youngquist was at the pageant, and she recorded for history how that Dean made the situation light and funny by relating stories from the past. “Later in the event, Dean Bruns, president of the Logan County Fair Board, who is fondly considered “Father over the Fair,” recalled a few of the unusual years. Now in his 64th year working the fair, Bruns has seen it all. He observed that while the rain drove everyone into the tight quarters of the exhibit barn, the fair is a farmer’s event. Farmers are used to dealing with the weather, and his proclamation, “They like rain!” brought chuckles. So, those running this year’s fair weren’t complaining this day. Bruns also recalled the year that a heavy rain began during the pageant. It became necessary to move across the midway, which was not paved then, to finish the event. “Luckily, there were only five contestants that year,” Bruns remembered, as when the contestants crossed the midway, they all lost their shoes in the mud. After they finished, the girls all had to go back into the mud to find their shoes.” Dean also loves attending the traditional Wednesday night grandstand event at the fair, the 4-H scrambles. In 2016 he talked about that part of the show along with going out and watching the kids show their livestock in the show barns at the north end of the fairground, saying it was an important part of our fair tradition, and one that he loves to see each year. Logan County Extension Advisor, Terri Miller, recently expressed her appreciation for Bruns and all the fair board members, noting that the Extension is really blessed to have the full support of the board members. “Dean and the county fair have always been great supporters of Extension and 4-H, including allowing us the use of facilities and buildings for events, workshops, our Master Gardeners Plant Sale, the Calf Scramble, and of course the Extension Office. Our participating youth, volunteers, and staff have always received a warm welcome. We are so appreciative of his and the fair board’s efforts and are very grateful for such strong support.” For Dean, supporting 4-H is cultivating the future, and assuring that if and when he does retire, there will be those who love the fair as much as he does, and who will step up and take on the task of being a wonderful fair ambassador. CONTINUE 00