<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Larson, President July 18th, 2016 414-908-0226</p><p>OZAUKEE COUNTY FAIR PROMISES TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY FUN Annual free fair celebrates with Charlie Daniels Band, fire engine ceremony and Firefighter Waterfights!</p><p>CEDARBURG, WI – The Ozaukee County Fair, one of the last free county fairs in the state, opens its gates for a five-day run on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016. In addition to offering attendees great traditional entertainment such as demolition derbies, diesel truck pulls, live music and a full midway, opening day of the Fair culminates with a grand fireworks show. The Fair is held at Fireman’s Park/Ozaukee County Fairgrounds in Cedarburg, just north of the historic downtown district on Washington Avenue.</p><p>The Fair opens at noon on Wednesday, August 3rd and closes at midnight. Thursday through Sunday the Fair runs from 8am until midnight; and Sunday, August 7th, it runs from 8 am until 8 pm. </p><p>2016 highlights include grandstand shows such as The Charlie Daniels Band who will perform live on Friday, August 5 with special guest The WhiskeyBelles. The band is known for such hits as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “In America,” “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” and their signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979 as well as single of the year at the County Music Association Awards. General festival style seating for the show at the Ozaukee County Fair is available online or at the gate for $20; reserved VIP seating in front of the stage is available for $35 per ticket. Online tickets can be purchased at www.ozaukeecountyfair.com and printed immediately. The show starts at 7:30pm.</p><p>Other grandstand entertainment includes the Truck Pulls ($8 for adults, $4 for kids) at 6pm on Wednesday, August 3rd; Tractor Pulls ($8 for adults, $4 for kids) at 6pm on Wednesday, August 3rd, and the Fair-favorite Demolition Derbies ($12 for adults, $6 for kids) at 6pm on Saturday and 2pm Sunday. </p><p>New in 2016 is the CFD engine ceremonial “wet-down,” followed by the new Firefighter Waterfights on Thursday, August, 4th. An engine wet-down is a ceremony many volunteer fire departments hold when initiating a new engine into their department. The Cedarburg Fire Department’s celebration will start at 5:30pm with a parade of CFD and guest engines, as well as firefighters from local fire departments, from CFD’s fire house, up Cedarburg’s main street and to the Fair grounds. The ceremony will take place on the fair grounds at 6:00pm, and will lead right into the firefighter water fights, a friendly water completion between area firefighters. </p><p>-more- Ozaukee County Fair (cont.) July 18th, 2016 Page 2 </p><p>Other highlights include five stages of free musical entertainment, horse shows, contests, livestock exhibitions and judging, independent vendors, chainsaw carving, bingo, magic shows, kids entertainment, a petting zoo with baby monkeys, pony rides and camel rides. The midway offers unlimited rides for all ages with the purchase of a wristband on Wednesday from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Thursday from 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m.- 5 p.m. </p><p>History of the Ozaukee County Fair</p><p>The Fair began in 1859, organized by the Ozaukee County Agricultural Society. The first Ozaukee County Fairs were held on leased land in Cedarburg. Soon it moved to Saukville, where it remained until 1890. It returned to Cedarburg when a half mile race track was built for horse racing, and it has remained at that location ever since. </p><p>“There was only one year in more than a century and a half that Ozaukee County didn’t celebrate with a Fair – 1933, the height of the Great Depression,” said past Fair President Roger Boehlke. “But it was revived a year later for its 75 th anniversary, it’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration. Out of respect for the depressed economy, that year the Fair board reduced the cost of admission from 50 cents to 25 cents.”</p><p>In 1942, Fair officials unanimously decided to do away with admission prices in response to President Roosevelt’s assertion that sports and amusements were essential to the morale of the American people and the welfare of communities. </p><p>“In exchange for free admission, Fair officials encouraged the public to show their support by attending the value- priced grandstand shows,” said Boehlke. “That theory of community giving has helped support the Fair for the 75 years following the Great Depression, and we hope it can carry us through for another 75 years.” </p><p>For more information about the Ozaukee County Fair, visit their new website at www.ozaukeecountyfair.com.</p><p>###</p>