Members of the Stratford Spirit 4-H Club work Sunday afternoon on putting their club’s booth together in the Van Diest Building at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in advance of Tuesday’s formal start of the 2025 Hamilton County Fair.

The Hamilton County Fair began to materialize on Sunday as 4-Hers set up their booths in the Van Diest Building and Clover Kids paraded their entries in the Show Ring before an appreciative audience.

This is what happens on “the Sunday before the Fair.”

Leading up to this day are all the many achievements 4-H and FFA members labor over to vie for the ribbons and trophies in an expansive field of specialities.

Today at the fair, another layer of work begins as judging of entries begins.

At 9:30 a.m., judging begins in some divisions.

In the Ed Prince Building, there will be entries in Food & Nutrition, Poster Art, Personal Development, Visual Arts, Science, Mechanics, Engineering, Ag & Natural Resources, Photography, and Horticulture. Note that vendors are not in the Ed Prince Building this year.

Throughout the day today, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., open class check-in will proceed for Hobby Craft, Textile, Fine Arts & Photography. This will take place in the Career Ag Building.

All this, of course, leads up to the official opening of the Fair, signaled by Tuesday’s Hamilton County Fair Parade.

The parade begins at 6 p.m. and runs from downtown Webster City to the fairgrounds, 1200 Bluff Street.

A couple more events to highlight on the fair’s official opening day are the opening of the Hamilton County Fair Foundation Meal & Beer Garden; the 7:30 p.m. performance by Jordan Beem, sponsored by Iowa Forklift and Equipment on the Keim TS Stage; and — new this year — Corgi Races sponsored by Hamilton County Farm Bureau in the Show Arena. That’s also at 7:30 p.m.