Brown County Fair brings a bit of country to the city

Festivities are already underway for this year’s Brown County Fair, which started this Wednesday and will continue through Sunday.
On the lineup for this year’s fair are plenty of crowd-favorite activities and exhibits attendees have come to know and love.

“The animals in the barn are really the classic stuff,” said Sheila Steinfeldt, Brown County Fair manager. “People love to watch the rabbits and we have the rooster crowing contest. They like to walk through the barns with the poultry, sheep, pigs and some cattle.

That is kind of a classic. Then there’s the fair food. We have all the standard fair food, plus we have jambalaya this year and fried catfish — those are things that we don’t normally have. People also love the Demo Derby… And we have the Tractor Truck Pull… Friday night is the PRCA Rodeo, and we’re the only one in this area that has a PRCA Rodeo. Saturday night and Sunday is the Horse Pull on the track that people really come back year after year to watch.”

In addition to the classic fair activities and animals, this year’s Brown County Fair will also feature one animal not typically seen at the fairgrounds.

“The Brown County Fair has the Otter Adventure this year,” she said. “It’s an otter show and it’s open all day. They put on a program show, but then the otters are also swimming and people can go and just watch them — that’s an all-day thing.”

But the best thing about the Brown County Fair, Steinfeldt said, is seeing people experience things they may otherwise not have had the opportunity to.

“I love to see the camaraderie and watch the urban mixed with the rural people and watch them get to know each other’s culture,” she said. “From town to country, it can be somewhat different. People that don’t usually get to see pigs get to see a pig and we see the smiles on those kids’ faces and even some of the adults.”

The Brown County Fair invites all members of the community to come and check out what it has to offer.

“Everyone is welcome, it’s very inclusive and it’s safe,” Steinfeldt said. “It’s some country within the city limits of Green Bay and De Pere… It’s really just bringing a lot of the country to the city and the city to the country and it’s a safe environment. I think that’s why people come back year after year.”

For those planning on attending the fair, Steinfeldt encourages them to plan for enough time to take everything in.

“Take your time, enjoy the atmosphere, don’t be in a hurry and just enjoy it,” she said. “It’s like what I tell people when they go to the Smoky Mountains. Just take your time, take a breath and just enjoy the environment you’re in.”

And, of course, those planning on attending should come prepared for the weather.

“I would tell you you’d better wear a hat and put sunscreen on because it is hot,” Steinfeldt said. “We do have places that people can sit down in the shade to eat and there is such wonderful food here.”

More information about the Brown County Fair and a complete schedule can be found at browncountyfair.com.