11-07-2025
Southern Iowa Fair kicks off
OSKALOOSA — The Southern Iowa Fair officially starts Monday, at 4 p.m.
Camping spots started filling up in earnest after 6 a.m. Friday, and were mostly full by noon.
'We usually end up with 130 campers out here during fair week,' said Erica Antolik, office manager for the Southern Iowa Fair. 'We utilize everything, and I have a waiting list of 46 people looking for a camping spot still.'
This year's fair, as always, will have some changes. Some entertainment from the past isn't back, and new acts are in the lineup.
One of the most notable changes is that the last day of the fair will be a full fair day. Typically, the fair would wind down around noon when livestock and exhibits were released. This year, they won't be released until 7 p.m., Antolik said.
'We just had some feedback from the community, that when they come out on Saturday afternoons, there's not any animals or exhibits to look at,' Antolik said.
Some of the new Free Stage entertainment includes:
— Magic Mike. In in the interest of full disclosure, Magic Mike is 'not what it sounds like,' Antolik said. Rather, the act involves an actual magician, wandering the fairgrounds doing magic tricks and performing magic from the Free Stage.
— Rhinestone Roper, a wild west show featuring horse tricks, rope tricks, fast draw and trick shooting.
— Fisherman Dan's Off the Hook Comedy Stunt Show.
Bacon Buddies is returning to the fair as a livestock exhibit, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The exhibit gives people over 10 with intellectual or developmental disabilities the chance to experience showing a pig. Each participant is paired with up to two youth mentors and a tame pig, then assessed by judges.
The official start of the fair signifies when all livestock and exhibitors have been checked in, Antolik said. But activities start before that.
Static exhibit judging starts at 9 a.m. Saturday in the exhibit hall and 4-H building.
Sunday, the Bill Riley Talent Show starts at 5 p.m. Horse speed events start at the outdoor arena at 6 p.m.
