Great Jones County Fair brings big names, big fun to Monticello

With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, but not forgotten, the Great Jones County Fair is faring well this year, hoping to return to previous years when 100,000 flocked to Monticello for the summer extravaganza.

“I can't say that COVID will ever be behind us. I think COVID taught everybody a lesson, including the fair industry. But I think we're on our way out of worrying about some of those things,” Abby Jaeger, the fair’s office manager told The Gazette earlier this month.

“I think it's pretty common knowledge that fairs took a hit, and in 2020, we didn't have a fair. So we kind of had to go back to square one in what the fair looks like going forward, and I would say that Jones County is pre-pandemic,” she said. “We actually just sold out of Pitbull track tickets (July 6).”

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Grandstand concerts begin Thursday, July 20, with hard rockers Shinedown and Saint Asonia, and continue Friday, July 21, with rapper/singer Pitbull and Neon Union; country’s Jon Pardi and Russell Dickerson on Saturday; and contemporary Christian artists We the Kingdom and Anne Wilson closing out the fair Sunday night, July 23. Fireworks follow each show.

While tickets range from $75 for Pitbull to $30 for We the Kingdom, plus fair admission of $5 to $12, many fans head for the hills to stake out free spaces for the concerts. It’s a long-standing tradition for which people queue up early, so when the gates open for the day at 8 a.m., they can race to plunk down their chairs, blankets and/or tarps, then spend the whole day roaming the exhibits, riding the rides, filling up on fair food, and taking in more free entertainment.

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Free fare

“We've turned up our free entertainment around the grounds all week,” Jaeger said. “We have 10 or 11 different things going on throughout the day, whether it be on the free stage or in the Pepsi Plaza or around the grounds. There's always something for everybody all day long.”

Among those free attractions in the Pepsi Plaza are the family game show Kids Celebration; Foam Zone, with fast-drying, eco-friendly mountains of foam to jump into; performing dogs and tigers; Space Adventures thrill acts and comedy juggling; and the interactive Pretty Bird Paradise, where birds can land on fairgoers who are holding tasty treats.

Music and magic alternate throughout the day on the Free Stage, and the Kids Zone offers an afternoon of games, arts and crafts, Papa Balloon creations, face painting, a strolling card magician, and hands-on agriculturally-based games reflecting this year’s fair theme, “Rooted in Agriculture.”

“Each year we're going to bring in something new to the Kids Zone, and this year it's Play with Giants Ag Edition,” Jaeger said. “ ... We know that agriculture in Jones County is rich, and we’re really proud of where we come from — the roots that we have here. So we’re excited just to make sure people from all over the state know that Jones County should always be known for agriculture.”

Other groups, like Iowa Corn and the Extension Service, are bringing in land- and water conservation information. “A lot of fun things to look at and see and be a part of during the fair,” Jaeger noted.

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More new features will help launch the fair Wednesday night, with Bacon Buddies. This program pairs 4-H and FFA members with people with disabilities, to teach them how to exhibit a pig, leading up to their own Swine Show at 6:30 p.m. in the show arena.

“We’re really excited to give more people the opportunity to do more on the fairgrounds this year,” Jaeger said. “We have so much more going down in the background this year. We’ve implemented a lot of new content, which is really exciting for us.”

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Attractions on the dirt track begin with a truck and tractor pull at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, and continue with harness racing at 11 a.m. Thursday and stock car races at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Keeping it clean

And while no specific COVID protocols are in place, with so many people coming to the fairgrounds, cleaning routines are being ramped up.

“We all lived through 2020. We know what needs to be taken care of,” Jaeger said. “We do have people who come in and clean every single day — all day every day — making sure surfaces are wiped down; making sure door handles are wiped down; making sure our picnic tables are cleaned up.

“From the fair industry, we're more cognitive of making sure those things that weren't important before are very important now, and we're getting them all done.”

It’s all about having a good, safe time for everyone involved, including Jaeger’s own kids, who finally get to see what she’s been up to on the job.

“I'm a mom of three. I have two 7-year-olds and a 2-year-old,” she said. “My joy from the fair is definitely seeing them get to enjoy the work of my labor all year long. I'm fortunate to be one of two full-time employees here with the fair. ...

“To get to provide something like this to my kids, let alone so many other people, it's a humbling experience that I get to provide. I'm a year into this and I still don't quite know everything about it. I also like the learning aspect. When I come into work every day, I have no idea what's next for the week or any other day of the year.

“We're just continuously trying to improve and trying to provide the best service that we can for the very loyal (visitors). The passion for our fair runs deep. And so just to make sure that all those people’s cups are filled at the end of those five days of summer — that’s what I look forward to the most.”

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com