It’s that time of the year again. The East Perry Community Fair takes place this Friday and Saturday. As in the past few years, I will not be writing my normal posts requiring family research. Today, I will write about the preparations for this annual event that brings thousands of people to the little town of Altenburg. We got off to a good start this morning with a beautiful sunrise.

A group known as the Fair Board works all year long on the plans for the upcoming fairs. Their hard work is much appreciated by our community. Now, the time has once again arrived when those plans are being implemented. I went down to the fairgrounds early this morning to document what has been happening there. I took several photos that I will share with you today. When these photos are placed in galleries, the thumbnails can be enlarged by clicking on them.

The rides for the midway arrived several days ago and can be seen awaiting their installation as the sun comes up. These rides will induce plenty of smiles on the faces of children and their parents for the next few days.

There will be plenty of food and drinks available for the fairgoers to enjoy. Some permanent buildings on the fairgrounds serve some of the fair favorites…fried fish, hamburgers, grilled cheese, brats, and ice cream. In addition, several other vendors arrive with their temporary stands.

And, of course, the standard Lutheran adult beverage will be amply supplied. At plenty of locations throughout the fairgrounds, beer stands are strategically placed. And where else can you get a glass or can of beer for $3.00 these days?

A few venues at the grounds will provide some entertainment. The bandstand, complete with a new concrete pad for dancing, will host several musical groups during the fair. The grandstand will also host several events. In addition to being the place for folks to show their livestock, fairgoers will be able to view a truck or tractor pull, and of course, the unique mule-jumping competition.

Another attraction at any fair are the animals and crafts submitted by local residents eager to show off the products of their hard work. Several buildings have been constructed over the years to make this possible.

As has always been the case, there is one other big factor that attracts people to this fair. We have plenty of parking areas, and the price has always been the same….FREE. There is also no charge for admission. There will be plenty of parking attendants ready to guide you to the proper parking area.

As you can see from the photo below, the fairgrounds are located very close to our museum, which will be open from 10 a.m. till 12 noon on Friday and our regular hours, 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Below is a schedule of events for the fair.

It looks like we are ready. All we need are the people. We hope to see many of you there.

On my way home, I decided to visit some of my favorite people. These folks are buried not far from the fairgrounds, Trinity Lutheran Church, and our museum. You can see the church steeple in the background. So many of these people spent many hours in booths and buildings, as well as sitting on benches and in grandstands, at the fair. They are now enjoying a time that is not just fair, but perfect.

Finally, the Fair Forecast for the weather is good. The scorching heat of the past few days has departed.