COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The 90th edition of the Branch County Fair will officially open at noon on Sunday. The midway rides will begin operating the following day.
The theme for this year’s Fair is Celebrating 90 years of Memories.
After some rather humble beginnings at various locations around Coldwater through the Depression years, which included the use of tents for the livestock, the Branch County Fair has been held at its current site near Garfield and Sprague Roads since the late 1930’s.
It was decided in 1936 to establish a more permanent location for the fair. Land was initially bought from Ethel Wolf, Amanda Zimmerman and Stanley Wedge. Buildings at the current location began going up in 1937.
While the fair officially opens on Sunday, the annual Fair Parade will start at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with the parade formation starting at the Fairgrounds at 3:00 p.m.
Construction work on South Jefferson has forced a change in the parade route.
From the Fairgrounds, the parade will go north on South Jefferson to Hooker Street where it will turn left.
From Hooker, it will turn right onto Preston and then left onto Conover Street.
The parade will then travel west on Conover before it turns right at Division.
It will then head north to the Four Corners in downtown Coldwater before going west on U.S. 12 to Clay Street.
From there, it will head south to West Park and start to head back to the Fairgrounds.
The Grand Marshall of Saturday’s parade is Cindy Walker who has been a 30 year supporter of the Branch County Fair as an FFA Advisor, judge and Barnyard Children Superintendent.
After the parade, the Branch Buds Animal Showing will take place in the Show Shelter at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Style Review in the Dearth Center at 7:00 p.m.
The first of the horse shows will take place on Sunday morning. Also on the schedule for Sunday is the Poultry Show, antique tractor pulls, barnyard children judging and the crowning of the Fair Queen and King.
