OSU Extension: Come to the Fairfield County Fair!

Connie Smith
·5 min read

The 172nd Fairfield County Fair, running Oct. 9-15 at the Fairfield County Fairgrounds in Lancaster, will be open for a full week packed with exciting entertainment, open and junior fair livestock and non-livestock competitions, delicious food, and more!

Scenes from the first day of the Fairfield County Fair in Lancaster Ohio on October 10, 2021.
Scenes from the first day of the Fairfield County Fair in Lancaster Ohio on October 10, 2021.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, the fair will kick off with Preview Day at noon, featuring a free Gospel music show in the Grandstand building from 2 to 5 p.m. Starting Monday, gates will open at 7 a.m., and tickets are available at the entrance of the fair for $7 for ages ten years and older, and free for anyone nine years and younger.

  • In addition to the livestock shows, harness racing, Art Hall exhibitions, food, rides, games and traditions the community loves, this year will include:

  • A-Bar Rodeo and Bulls & Barrel Racing starting at 7 p.m. in the Grandstand building on Monday, Oct. 10. Tickets are $7 in addition to admission.

  • Wanted - The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute Band starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Grandstand building on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This is a free event!

  • Truck and Tractor Pull starting at 7 p.m. in the Grandstand building on Wednesday, Oct. 12. This is a free event!

  • Junior Fair Livestock Auction starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, continuing at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14 – a great way to celebrate the youth in our community and support our 4-H and FFA kids.

  • Buckeye Toyota Combine Derby and Human Tractor Pull starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Grandstand building on Thursday, Oct. 13. This is a free event!

  • Power Wheel Derby and Auto Demolition Derby starting at 7:10 p.m. in the Grandstand building on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15! Tickets are pre-sale for reserved seats and on sale the night of the event if they do not sell out beforehand.

  • High School band parade is on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 9:15 a.m.

Fairfield county high school marching bands performed for the crowd in the grandstand during the Parade of Bands at the Fairfield County Fair in Lancaster, Ohio on October 14, 2021.
Fairfield county high school marching bands performed for the crowd in the grandstand during the Parade of Bands at the Fairfield County Fair in Lancaster, Ohio on October 14, 2021.

Stop pruning, keep watering

Pruning plants, particularly trees and shrubs, can cause the plant to react by putting on new growth at the cut point. This new growth is unlikely to fully emerge in time to sufficiently harden off (go dormant) before cold temperatures hit. Unless you have to prune off a broken branch or a branch that is blocking a door or window, avoid the urge to prune.

But keep on watering when rainfall is insufficient. Water up until the ground is frozen (or you have to turn off your outdoor spigot). Consider emptying your rain barrel onto the root zone of your favorite evergreen tree or shrub. These plants must have enough moisture to hold onto their needles or leaves through the winter.

Overwintering geraniums

If you have included geraniums in your garden this year, you might be considering bringing them indoors to save for next year’s garden. Geraniums can be overwintered indoors by taking cuttings, potting up individual plants or storing bare-root plants in a cool, dry location. Make sure to do one or all of these things before the first hard frost.

  • Take geranium cuttings

  • Take 3- to 4-inch stem cuttings from the tips of the plant.

  • Remove the lower leaves and dip the base of each cutting in a rooting hormone.

  • Stick the cuttings into a pot or flat with drainage holes containing vermiculite or a mixture of perlite and sphagnum peat moss.

  • Insert the cuttings into the growing medium far enough to stand on their own.

  • Water the container after all the cuttings are inserted.

  • Allow the medium to drain for a few minutes, then place a clear plastic bag or dome over the cuttings to prevent the plant foliage from wilting.

  • Place the cuttings in bright, indirect light.

  • They should root in six to eight weeks. When the cuttings have good root systems, remove them from the rooting medium and plant each rooted cutting in its own pot. Place the potted plants in a sunny window or under artificial lighting until spring.

Overwinter geraniums as potted plants

Dig up each plant you want to save, making sure to get most of the root ball, and place in a large pot.Water thoroughly, then place the plants in a sunny window or under artificial lighting.Water plants about every two weeks.Geraniums prefer daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F and slightly cooler nighttime temperatures. They are likely to become tall and lanky by late winter. Prune your potted geraniums in March, removing one-half to two-thirds of each plant. They will begin to grow again within a few days and should develop into attractive plants by May.

Overwinter geraniums as bare-root plants

Carefully dig up the geraniums before the first fall frost.Remove all of the soil from the plant’s roots.Place one or two plants in a large paper sack and store in a cool (45- to 50-degree F), dry location. Or hang the plants upside down in a cool, dry location. The foliage and the shoot tips will eventually die.In March, remove all shriveled, dead material and prune back to firm, green, live stem tissue. After pruning, pot the plants and water thoroughly. Place the potted geraniums in a sunny window or under artificial lighting. Geraniums that are pruned and potted in March should develop into attractive plants that can be planted outdoors after the last frost.

Source: University of Minnesota, Yard and Garden

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: OSU Extension: Come to the Fairfield County Fair!