The fair is held at the Greene County Expo Center, 120 Fairground Road, in Xenia. Daily gate admission is $10, and free for those nine and under who enter with a paying adult.
For a schedule of events, visit www.greenecountyfairgrounds.com.
With temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity levels just as steep, the heat was palpable on Sunday’s opening day.
But that didn’t stop 15-year-old Reagan Montgomery from fulfilling her duties as royalty for the Rabbit Barn, serving as a liaison of sorts for other 4-H animal show participants.
This is Reagan’s third time earning rabbit royalty in her six years of 4-H participation, an organization she loves.
“As royalty, I’m pretty much in the (rabbit) barn most of the time, walking around, answering questions and helping anyone who needs it. I also hand out awards during shows,” Reagan said. “I really like the social interaction of 4-H and showing animals; there’s so many people here that you don’t get to see very often because we’re all from different schools throughout the county.”
For Reagan, 4-H is a family affair.
Her 10-year-old sister, Zoe, also shows rabbits. Their dad, Preston Simmons, was in 4-H as a kid, too.
“I know how 4-H and raising show animals helped my family growing up, keeping us kids on the straight and narrow, doing well and staying busy; so, we see a lot of benefit from what they do,” Simmons said.
Reagan hopes to be a veterinarian when she grows up and has set her sights on Ohio State University.
“When I sell my animals, that money goes towards my college fund,” she said.
In between performing her rabbit royalty duties, judging shows, and winning competitions — she won the coveted Best in Show title on Sunday, along with a few other awards — Reagan works on homework from her College Credit Plus courses.
“She’s working toward graduating with an associate’s degree,” Simmons said.
In one of the site’s exhibit buildings, Kim Davis and her daughter Danielle Graham are carrying out their own family affair.
The duo is selling products from Ben’s Mustard, a family-run company based in southwest Ohio.
“My aunt and her best friend came up with the mustard and barbeque sauce,” Davis said. “Aunt Karen has since passed away, but now her family runs the business and we help out when we can with event booths.”
Davis and Graham are selling the mustard and barbeque sauces all week during the fair, along with two styles of pineapple salsa, apple jelly, hot jelly, and cowboy relish — a take on traditional relish but with a kick.
“My favorite is the apple jelly,” Davis said. “I like to put it on vanilla ice cream. It’s delicious, and if I close my eyes, I’d swear I was eating apple pie.”
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