With every exhibitor leading an animal around the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds this weekend, you will find a story following closely behind.

Vivian Barta and her cousin Clay are officially exhibiting animals for the first time at the Kewaunee County Fair after entering kiddie showmanship two years ago. With a little help from their grandfather Jerry, the pair on Thursday brought pigs into the new show pavilion named after their late father Andy Barta. Both admitted they were nervous, but also excited for the opportunity.

Caleb Salentine has exhibited pigs and his baking skills at previous fairs, but has never shown dairy cattle before this year. This is despite his family owning a dairy farm just a few miles away from the fairgrounds in Luxemburg. He says it was the people involved in the 4-H Dairy Project that got him wanting to participate in Friday’s show.

While Barta and Salentine are celebrating firsts this year, Marie Prodell is closing the book on her Kewaunee County Fair showing career. Thursday’s beef showmanship competition marked one of the last times she will have her own animals at the fair. She does not plan on going away anytime soon as she hopes to help other exhibitors like Madison Mertens. She offers some advice to those wanting to get more involved in exhibiting animals.

Even though many of the livestock shows have ended, the exhibitors and their animals will still be hanging around the barns until the Kewaunee County Fair ends on Sunday.

INTERVIEW WITH ALIZA JACOBS AND ANNA PRAVECHEK