COLUMBIANA COUNTY Bell casting, other events ring in bicentennial at fair

Visitors can watch as workers craft the bell.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Bull riding, bale tossing, pig kissing, and even combine smashing are on tap for the Columbiana County Fair.
The focus of the fair will as always be on the county's youth, members of 4-H and other clubs that culminate a year of work by putting their best efforts before judges.
The fair will also have a patriotic theme, with a salute to veterans and the celebration of not only Ohio's bicentennial, but Columbiana County's and Lisbon's as well.
A marker honoring the county's Medal of Honor winners is already in place on Lisbon's village square in front of the courthouse. The marker will hold the county's bicentennial bell after the fair.
Bell casting
Lee Yoakum, a spokesman for the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, said the bell will be cast July 31 during the day and by 5 p.m. will be ready to ring.
Visitors can watch July 30 and 31 as workers prepare and then cast the bell. By midafternoon July 31, the bell can be taken out of the mold. Then, the bell craftsmen -- who by then will have cast 63 of the planned 88 bicentennial bells -- will sand and polish it in preparation for ringing at 5 p.m.
Although the fair officially opens with ceremonies and crowning of the 4-H king and queen at 6 p.m. July 28, there are several events scheduled before that.
A prelude to the fair will be a garden tractor pull at 1 p.m. July 27 on the track in front of the grandstand.
July 28 is entry day, with free admission. A few judging events will take place that day.
Additional events
Harness racing is scheduled twice during the fair, at 11 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.
The popular car-demolition derbies will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Participants must be Columbiana County residents 18 or older.
There are plenty of pulling events during the fair, with trucks, garden tractors, kiddie tractors, antique tractors and horses doing the pulling. Competitors try for the longest pull with the most weight.
Rodeo fanatics can satisfy their hunger for thrills and spills with team penning and bull riding events.
Fairgoers can watch as cowboys try to stay on a kicking, spinning bull for eight seconds, or teams of three riders and horses pen steers for the fastest time.