Seneca County Fair's new livestock arena was the building everybody wanted to be in, a fair official says.
"It was cooler," said Calvin Staib, president of Seneca County Agricultural Society.
Staib said it was comfortable in the building when it was 96 degrees outside. People enjoyed the cool air, and it felt like air conditioning compared to the other barns, he said.
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PHOTO BY JILL GOSCHE
Swine exhibitors participate in a show in the new livestock arena last week.
"Everybody just loved it," he said.
Staib said more people were watching shows than ever before.
"They were comfortable," he said.
The fair's newest building, which measures 100 feet by 100 feet, features a fan with 12-foot-long blades.
"It doesn't look that big hanging up there," he said.
Staib said rain during the spring delayed construction about a month and a half. Construction on the building finished July 21, several days before the fair opened, and flowers and mulch were placed later.
He said he would have liked to have built a larger building, but the one the fair board built is what it could afford. Total cost of the project was about $190,000, he said.
Junior Fair Foundation gave money, the fair board put in money and borrowed more, and people donated toward the project, he said.
The fair board is seeking more donations.
"We're always accepting money," Staib said.
During the fair, the building housed open-class sheep, which had been in the barn that was torn down to make way for it. Shows for chickens, goats, hogs, rabbits and sheep were in the arena.
The kiddie tractor pull also took place in the building. After the open-class sheep show Friday morning, officials made the arena smaller for the livestock sale, which left an open area that a kiddie tractor pull official saw.
"They wanted it," Staib said.
Staib said officials would like to get pens of their own.
They wanted to go through a year to see what pens were needed in the building, and this year's wooden pens were borrowed from Wyandot County, he said.
Staib said the building will be used year-round. It will be used for storage in the winter, and flea market officials probably will use it as long as flea markets continue, he said.
Also, it is to be available for people to rent, he said.
People interested in renting the fairgrounds or its buildings can call (419) 447-7888 or e-mail senecafair@bright.net, according to the fair's website.
