photo by: Mike Yoder

Children participate in the sack races on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Vinland Fair.

The Vinland Fair will offer three days of old-fashioned fun this week.

The fair, at 1736 North 700 Road, will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the southern Douglas County village of Vinland.

Julie Craig, president of the Vinland Fair Board along with husband Mike, said the fair has tried to stay true to its historic roots. It began in the 1870s as a way for the Vinland Grange, an association of local farmers, to display fruits and vegetables. Unlike the just concluded Douglas County Fair, the Vinland Fair has no carnival. Instead it focuses on old-fashioned contests, activities and food like its well-known chicken-noodle dinner.

“It’s family friendly and all about the kids,” Julie Craig said. “It’s just hometown fun with lots of live music. We encourage everyone to come visit.”

The opportunity for visitors to directly participate starts Thursday with an old-time farm skills contest, a scarecrow-building competition and the evening talent show. In addition to musicians and comedians, the talent show has in the past featured such oddities as a mind-reading chicken, contortionist and aerial performers.

Children can compete in sack races, a tug-of-war and a bicycle race Friday afternoon. The fair’s annual antique tractor pull will start at 6 p.m. Friday will also mark the return of the chicken-noodle dinners prepared through a community effort, Craig said. Long associated with the fair, the chicken-noodle dinners were absent last year.

“They’re back by popular demand,” Craig said. “They will only be available Friday evening.”

The concession stands will also offer hamburgers, pulled-pork sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos and the homemade pies made by Vinland Valley volunteers, Craig said.

Saturday will start with the annual children’s pet parade and also include the kids pedal tractor pull, as well as a garden tractor pull at the arena track.

A popular Saturday event is the homemade ice cream contest. After the ice cream is judged at 7 p.m., it will be available for purchase.

Live music will be featured each night of the fair, starting at 7:30 p.m. For a complete schedule and other fair information, such as the food menus for each day, visit vinlandfair.com.