SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – The dust has cleared, the carnival has gone and the critters are on their way where ever it is they’re going.
The 2017 Scotts Bluff County Fair is officially in the books.
“It went really well,” said University of Nebraska Extension Assistant Janice Schwartz. “We had an increase in static exhibits this year, for example.
“And the animal numbers stayed pretty strong,” she said. “They might have been down a few, but especially with the heat of summer and how hard it was to put weight on livestock, it really was a good fair.”
There wasn’t much new, as far as shows and exhibits went, this year, Schwartz said. But many of the tried and true favorites were just as popular as in years past.

One thing that was added last year, and remained a favorite this year, was the Champion’s Row for the livestock exhibitors, she said. A special area set aside for all the winners from the various livestock shows, Champion’s Row offered another way to congratulate 4-H and FFA students on their hard work, preparing for the fair.
“We even have cages for the champion poultry and rabbits,” Schwartz said. “It makes it easier to highlight all the
champion animals.
“It’s just another perk of winning for the kids,” she said. “It makes them think, ‘I want to strive to win’ even more.”
Though the final counts aren’t completed, it seemed to Schwartz overall numbers of exhibits may have been down this year. But that’s just par for the course at the Scotts Bluff County Fair,
she said.
“We’re a pretty lucky county,” Schwartz said. “Some years we’re down a bit, but usually it continues and goes up the next year. We have a really strong county for showing livestock.”
Putting on a fair every year can be a daunting, and difficult, task. Schwartz said it couldn’t be done year after year without the staff at the county fairgrounds in Mitchell, and particularly not without the host of people who volunteer their time and talents every year.
“Each year, I’m so amazed and thankful for the group of volunteers we have running our fair,” she said. “They have a big job, but they make it so seamless in the way they work with (4-H and FFA) members and their families. It’s amazing to watch.
“A lot of time, people might think the fair is all there is to 4-H and FFA, but kids have been working all year on their individual projects,” Schwartz said. “This is an important event along the way to learning.”