(Atlantic, Iowa) – Day two of the 2023 Cass County Fair, Friday, features several scheduled events. The Rabbit Show kick’s things off at 8-a.m., followed by part two of the Horse Show, at 9-a.m. The 4-H & FFA Exhibits will be available for viewing at the Cass County Community Center, from 10-a.m. until 8-p.m., Friday, and a Dog Show is set to begin at 11-a.m.

Friday afternoon, Atlantic Elks Bingo will be held from 2-until 5-p.m., and the Clover Kids Animal Show is at 3:30-p.m. The Building Showcase at the Community Center, is at 5:30-p.m., with Mutton Busting at 6:30, and a Rodeo/Bull Ride at 8-p.m., Friday, concludes the day’s activities.

The Clover Kids Style Show is an exciting addition to the fair, that aims to provide young Clover Kid members with an opportunity to showcase their fashion sense and strut their stuff on the runway alongside their 4-H counterparts. While the Style Show for regular 4-H members has been around for a while, this new addition is meant to encourage more participation from the Clover Kid members and get them more involved in the fairgrounds. This event is open to the public as part of the fair’s Friday Evening Building Showcase on July 28th Starting at 5:30pm.

4-H’ers across Cass County displayed their skills in creating and purchasing outfits for all purposes during the Clothing Selection and Fashion Revue Contest on July 11th at the Cass County Community Center. Participants competed in three divisions: Fashion Revue, New Clothing Selection, and Used Clothing Selection (Thrifty Challenge). Even though the judging took place before the fair, the public will be able to see the results of this hard work during the style show and awards on Friday, July 28th at 5:30 pm during the Friday Evening Showcase in the Community Center at the fair! The style show features outfits sewn and/or purchased by 4-H members. Contest results will be announced following the style show.

Also on Friday, July 28th, the “Share the Fun” contest will take place in the Cass County Community Center at 5:30PM as part of this year’s Friday Evening Building Showcase. Share the Fun entries can be an individual event, small group, large group, or an entire club. Members can do a skit, sing a song, dance or perform other types of entertainment for the pure enjoyment of the audience and judge. Groups will be judged on quality, showmanship, appearance, and FUN!! The public is welcome, and encouraged, to grab a seat in the audience and watch these amazing performers. So come out, have a laugh or two, and support the 4-Hers who have put in many hours of preparation just for you! This year Grove H.O.T. 4-H club has put together a skit to celebrate their 100th birthday. Other acts include a flute duet, piano solo, and more!

The Table Setting Contest is growing in popularity, and Cass County is on its third-year of having the contest, with an increase in the number of entries every year. The contest is a fun way for youth to learn how to properly set a table, plan nutritious meals, and express originality and creativity. Exhibitors choose a theme, present to a judge, express knowledge of food, nutrition and food safety, and have fun in planning a special occasion meal for entertaining. All entries are photographed and will be displayed at the fair for public viewing in the Community Center. Awards will be presented during Friday Evening’s Building Showcase at 5:30-p.m., in the Community Center. Winners will be chosen from each age division (Junior, Intermediate, Senior) and in each category, Casual or Formal. Those winners will have the opportunity to advance to the Regional Table Setting Contest which will be held on Saturday, August 5th at the Cass County Community Building.

Carnival Rides are available from Noon until 10-p.m. each day of the fair (through Monday). There’s mechanical bull riding Friday, from 1-p.m. until the time of the rodeo, and all-day on Saturday. The Cass County Fair is FREE. There is no charge for admission, parking, exhibits or Grandstand entertainment! For more information, find a full fair schedule HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa DNR is reopening the renovated Pikes Peak State Park campground near McGregor today. Northeast Parks supervisor Detra Dettmann says the campground got a complete overhaul. “There’s new roadways in the campground, we’ve eliminated the non-electric sites, we’ve got more pull-through sites, and we’ve upgraded new dump station. We’ve got fewer sites, so they’re more quality sites instead of quantity,” Dettman says. They are now taking reservations for the campground. “This campground will now be 100% reserveable. Before it was 75%, and then that other 25% was for walk up or first come first serve only,” she says. “And now we’ve got the capability for folks to reserve all those in advance or on site.”

We are in the heart of the summer camping season — but she says the Pikes Peak campground is more desired later in the year. “Our busiest time actually at this park is as we get into fall leaf season. And whole the park draws a lot of people just because of the wonderful views of the Mississippi River and beautiful trails, but the campground as well will be packed,” Dettman says.

Pikes Peak State Park. (DNR photo)

She says the re-opening was delayed a bit because they were waiting for the grass to grow in. Dettman says northeast Iowa has seen a lot of variability in the weather this summer. “For example, down in Backbone, which is about an hour south of Pikes Peak, they’ve had pretty good rains. And so they’ve been keeping up with the mowing pretty nonstop. And then at Pikes Peak, at one point I looked at the rainfall map and it just showed like a red spot right in Clayton County right over Pikes Peak where they had been really short,” Dettman says. “But then they got a couple of good doses which really helped jumpstart things. So we’re not quite where we need to be but it’s better than we weren’t early in the summer certainly.”

Dettman says they hope to work out any problems with the new systems at Pikes Peak yet this summer as they prepare for the fall.  “We’re really excited to have it open and this will be the first we can kind of test everything to make sure it’s working. So there may be glitches be patient if there are we’ll work through those as best we can,” she says.

You can make reservations online for Pikes Peak State Park Campground starting at 9 a.m., with the same-day window closing at 11:59 p.m. each day. Reservations will be accepted through the end of November, with the campground closing over the winter from December through February. Go to iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com to reserve your spot.