Ferris wheels, stuffed animals and greasy, fried foods may be the universal symbols for county fairs, but in Mower, 4-H comes first.

Locally, that program has been running strong for years, and this year’s fair is shaping up to be another busy one for its participants, according to Melissa Koch, Mower County 4-H coordinator. Of 460 local 4-H members, at least 346 will exhibit projects during this year’s Mower County Fair — many with multiple projects and one with as many as 28.

“We’re just really excited,” Koch said. “It’s our big showcase of the year. It’s a bittersweet end to summer.”

The sounds of cattle and smell of hogs will be evident when the fair opens on Tuesday, Aug. 7. But the 4-H action starts as early as Saturday, with horse competitions in the arena. Fashion and food review projects were already judged about a week ago, and finalists in those categories will showcase their accomplishments, as well. A menagerie of other categories are scheduled as well, including goats, rabbits, llamas, dogs, horticulture projects and more.

Like every year, University of Minnesota Extension employees, fair board members and 4-H’ers have been prepping and organizing since January. Exhibits will be open for the public to see from Tuesday through Sunday. A complete list of 4-H events, among the many other activities at this year’s fair, is listed inside this tab, downloadable at mowercountyfair.com and available in the Mower County Fair Book at many local city offices and retailer