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TYLER - Where do county fair animals go at night?

It's a lot of work to pack up the animals when the fair closes for the day, only to bring them back early the next morning, so most stay right at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds until the fair is over.

Kaylie Nielsen of Lake Benton was cleaning the ears of her cow, Daisy, Friday morning and said she leaves her cows overnight.

"I don't stay, but my cousin does," she said.

"If you want to walk around all night you can," said Amanda Grooters of Verdi.

You might have some official company.

"We got security here all night," said Don Evers, director of the Lincoln County Fair Board. "The Sheriff has a patrol and we have our own security, too, one person hired for all night.

"We do have a few who stay all night," he said. "We've got a dorm above the 4-H building where some of the 4-H'ers stay."

And not just the 4-H'ers.

Gail Kvernmo of Hendricks is the superintendent of the pantry and kitchen department for the open class projects, and stayed in the dorm Thursday night.

"I stayed the night because I had to be here early," she said, adding no kids stayed overnight with her in the dorm.

For some, staying overnight is a moot point since they're there so much anyway.

Andrew Swanson of Ivanhoe has a cow and calf at the fair.

"I'm here late at night," he said, "This morning I was here at 7, probably here until 9-10 (tonight)."

Christina Fehrman has four cattle at the fair.

"On show day, we get here by 5:30 in the morning and leave around 10:30-11 at night," she said. "Makes for a long day, but it's what I love to do, so it doesn't matter."

Her cows don't just stand in a stall, looking at the same thing for four days.

"Outside is a tie-down so they can get a change of scenery," she said.

Nick Delaney of Lake Benton gives his two cattle a new view, too.

"At nights, about 8, we take them to the trailer. About 6 o'clock, we bring them back up here," he said. "They're fine in the trailer.

"I actually go home, but a lot of people stay with the campers," Delaney said.

Evers said there are about 25 campers set up in an area near the livestock barn; he didn't know how many stay in the campers and tents.

"We haven't had any major problems," Evers said. "Once in a while, an animal might get loose. Security is pretty good, I think."