SALEM, Ohio — The Hardin County Fairgrounds will be ready to host its yearly exhibition in September, although it may look a little different than years past, according to county and fair officials. The damage wrought by a March tornado was extensive, but a combination of construction projects and temporary structures will prepare the grounds for an event that draws thousands of visitors.
The annual gathering, which is part of the lifeblood of the agriculture community in a county of roughly 30,000 people, is scheduled to take place as it normally would Sept. 8-13.
Hardin County Commissioner Joe Sherman remembers getting a phone call around 9 p.m. on March 26 informing him that a tornado had hit the fairgrounds
“My first question was about the caretaker, ‘Is he safe?’” he said, referring to a maintenance worker who lives on the county-owned property. “Nobody got hurt, that’s all that matters. Everything else can be built back up.”
No injuries were reported from the EF1 tornado, which touched down south of Kenton on the evening of March 26 and left a trail of destruction that ran through the fairgrounds.
In an open letter published March 28, the Hardin County Fair Board detailed the damage to the fairgrounds.
“The Machinery Building, Poultry & Rabbit Building, Hardin County Cattle Producers Steak Barn, Arts & Crafts Building, Hardin County Pork Producers Building, Maintenance Shop, Roundhouse, Grandstand, Goshen Barn and Youth and Ag Center have all taken at least some damage, with the most serious being the Machinery Building. Several power lines and poles are also down,” the board said in the letter.
Sherman said the rabbit barn was “totally destroyed.”
Tents will be erected to stand in for any buildings that can’t be made ready before September, Sherman said.
“My thing was to get the debris picked up,” he said. “That part is pretty much done.”
The final repair bill will likely reach $1 million; however, it remains to be seen how much of the construction costs will be borne by the county and what insurance will pay for, Sherman said.
The grounds are owned by the Hardin County Commissioners and are leased to the Hardin County Agricultural Society. The buildings, grounds and infrastructure are on the county’s insurance policy, but the building’s contents and assets fall under the fair board’s insurance. The county is footing the bill for now, Sherman said.
Local contractors repaired some buildings within the county’s budget, and an electrical repair company helped rebuild some of the power lines. The goal is to get the fairgrounds open for events by June 1.
“We’re still in a long process,” he said.
The yearly event is vital to farmers in the region, said Hardin County Farm Bureau President Derek Snider.
“To me, it’s one of the biggest social events of the year for all those who work in agriculture,” he said.
Crucially, the fair gives the children and teenagers who participate in 4-H and FFA a chance to showcase their work, Snider said.
“The community comes together to support the youth,” he said. “It’s pretty important.”
One of the county’s 4-H clubs, the Boots and Buckles 4-H Club, is giving back by launching a T-shirt sale to help the fair with its rebuilding efforts. The shirt sale runs through May 29, with shipping available for an extra fee and local pick-up also available. Shirts can be ordered online at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/hardin-county-fair-strong.
They’re not the only ones helping out. The Wyandot County Fair Board recently presented the Hardin County board with a check for $12,000 from a recent fundraiser Wyandot held to benefit its neighbors.
The fair board also started a relief fund to help with costs beyond what insurance will pay. At the board’s May meeting, Rob Wilson, chairman of the grounds committee, said they’ve received a donation of $10,000 from Invenergy and $36,000 from Ohio Harness Racing.
Donations can be made to the relief fund at eventeny.com/users/application/fundraising/?id=953
