The Mahoning County Junior Fair is hosting what they hope will be the world’s largest goat parade at 9 a.m. Sept. 2.
The parade will start at the coliseum and go west around the pumpkin barn, then back to the junior fair area, said Kimberly Moff, Mahoning County Junior Fair manager.
Setting records
John James, head of the junior fair goat committee, said he was looking for something to do at the end of the fair to ward off the end-of-summer-blues.
“Monday is kind of a sad day at the fair for the kids,” he said. “It’s been a long week … it’s the end of summer. They’re going back to school.”
That’s when he looked at the Guinness World Records book sitting on his coffee table and got an idea.
He applied with Guinness to host the world’s largest goat parade, and got accepted. No one, however, had set such a record yet. So, Guinness had to set up requirements for the record.
The rules
The goats have to be over a year old. There must be at least 60 goats in the parade. The parade must be at least 100 meters long.
The goats will be led on nylon collars with leashes. A veterinarian must be there to monitor the parade to ensure that no animals were harmed.
There are about 100 goats in the junior fair that will be in the parade, but only 75 or 80 qualify for the record, James said.
There will be goats of all sizes, from large dairy goats to Nigerian dwarfs, James said.
Making memories
James said the junior fair members and parents alike are looking forward to the parade.
“I think a lot of us remember reading the Guinness Book of World Records and thinking ‘what could I do to get in there,’” James said.
People might remember another world record set at the fair. In 1996, the Canfield Fair set the record for the largest chicken dance with 72,000 dancers.
“I know there’s competitions at the fair and it’s about showing. But you should have fun with it, too,” James said.
Junior fair goat alumni are welcome to join the parade, Moff said. Anyone who wants to participate should meet at the junior fair office at 8:30 a.m.
“Once a goat herder, always a goat herder,” James said.
After the parade at 10 a.m. is the goat costume contest in the coliseum.
(Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.)
This photo is from the Lawrence County Fair 2019