By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Families descended upon the Crawford County Fairgrounds Thursday evening, not to show off prized animals, but to have fun in the setting sun.
Replacing the dinner and auction fundraiser, the Crawford County 4-H program held their first ever Family Fun Fest. Anyone, including those not associated with 4-H, was welcome to come to the fairgrounds and enjoy numerous avenues of entertainment.
Crawford County 4-H Youth Development Coordinator Allison Cooper explained what the Family Fun Fest was all about.
“Our 4-H Advisory Committee does different fundraisers every year,” Cooper said. “In the past we did the dinner and auction, and this year they wanted to try something new that got people outside of the 4-H program to come, and not only learn about 4-H, but have some fun as well. So they came up with the idea to have a school night type fun day.”
The event was put together by the 4-H Advisory Committee. Committee member Sara Gebhardt explained what she enjoyed most about putting on the event.
“I really enjoyed seeing all the kids come out to the fairgrounds who may or may not be involved in 4-H and just mingling with all the different volunteers that we have and everyone that has come out,” Gebhardt said.
For $5 kids received a wristband which would allow them access into numerous activities around the fairgrounds including four inflatable bounce houses, an obstacle course, kickball slip and slide, ring toss and face painting.
Watching her kids Braden and Megan enjoy one of many bounce houses on the grounds, Kate Siefert explained what brought them out to the Family Fun Fest.
“We like to support the 4-H activities, because this one is geared to go back toward 4-H and the kids knew they would have friends here to have fun with,” Siefert said.
Josephine Parsons and son Isaac visited Family Fun Fest after seeing an advertisement for it at the Crawford County Fair. Isaac explained what his favorite part of Family Fun Fest had been.
“The obstacle course was my favorite part,” Isaac said. “I liked going through the squeeze things.”
Kohler Fuller noted his favorite game.
“My favorite game was gold mining,” Fuller said. “Digging through the orbs was the best part.”
Enjoying the Family Fun Fest with her grandkids, Wilma Burky sat in the face painting booth to get done up like a cat. Burky explained how she wound up at the face painting booth.
“I came out to watch my granddaughter play,” Burky said. “I hadn’t planned on getting my face painted, but it looked interesting, and I decided ‘why not.’”
Games and face painting weren’t all that was taking place, as in the park area the Steer Clear DJ was providing music. During a break in the music, Cooper announced the Outstanding 4-H Volunteer Award winners were Chad Gebhardt and Trisha Tackett.
PHOTO GALLERY: 4-H Family Fun Fest