Rice County Fair Feature is Learning

One of the things I love about the Rice County Fair and any of the fairs I attend in Minnesota is you can see and learn a lot.

Rice County Fair Executive Secretary John Dvorak was on our KDHL AM Minnesota program today and summarized a lot of the things people can experience this week Wednesday through Sunday on the fairgrounds in Faribault.

KDHL Radio will be conducting a Fair Talk segment each day Wednesday through Friday at 11:50 a.m. with Dvorak and/or a guest doing something in conjunction with the fair.

For example Kathy Cooper with the Rice County Safe Roads Coalition will be stopping by on Thursday talking about their Traffic Safety Fair for teens and young drivers.  The Traffic Safety Fair is on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Beer Garden.

The Rice County Sheriff's Office is also sponsoring in hopes of educating young drivers about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.

Traffic crashes are the second leading cause of death for Minnesota teens, according to the Office of Traffic Safety.

On average each year 30 teens lose their lives on Minnesota roads.

Teens are at greatest risk on the road due to their lack of experience, risk-taking behind the wheel, speeding and distracted driving.

Teens also have the lowest seat belt usage rate among all age groups.

Faribault Police Explorers will assist coalition members with the Traffic Safety Fair, which includes four stations:

• Seatbelt Convincer- Passengers experience the fore of a 5-10 mph collision which helps them realize the value of passenger restraints.
• Pedal Cart with Fatal Vision goggles- Drivers attempt to operate the cart with the goggles which simulate impairment.
• Bean Bag Toss with and without Fatal Vision goggles- Players see how alcohol and drugs impact a driver's vision and reaction time.
• Distracted Driving Simulator- Participants lean how distractions while driving can lead to crashes.

Free root beer is being provided by College City Beverage of Dundas.

Participants who experience all the stations can enter to win prizes including cash, gas cards and tickets to the Rice County Fair Demolition Derby.

Admission to both fairs (Rice County and Traffic Safety) is free.  Parking on the fairgrounds is $7.00 each day or you can purchase a weekly pass for Wednesday through Sunday for $25.00.

Monday I went through the Open Exhibit buildings including Gillen Hall, Commercial (Archery) Building and 4-H projects loaded with all kinds of information.

You could literally spend the entire day just looking at, reading some of the projects and learn as much or more (probably have more fun too) than reading it in a Encyclopedia.

Gillen Hall has some impressive items.  Look at the size of the Kohlrabi in this picture which you can see in person at the fair.  Kohlrabi is a type of cabbage that is a nutritional dynamo.  A great source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.  When cooked tastes like radish.

Who can resist baked goods like cookies and cake?  These are in the Gillen Building also.

You can learn about super strong ants and see a Barbie collection in the Gillen Building.  There is something for every age in there.

Some incredible artwork crafted by Epic Center Dundas clients.  Some very talented people.

I was really attracted to this piece.

Horticulture is a life brightener.

These photos really don't do the items justice so stop out to the Rice County Fair and forget the time.  Engross in all the great displays and soak up all the knowledge you can gain at the Rice County Fair.

More education for you here.