Photos by Mild Du Jonathan Vazques, Jesus Lopez and Josue Lopez work on setting up for the circus for the Lyon County Fair.

MARSHALL — The Lyon County fairgrounds were already bustling on Monday. Signs and carnival equipment were being set up, and 4-H members were presenting their projects to judges before the start of the 2022 fair.

“We really anticipate a strong fair this year,” said Mark Sleiter, president of the Lyon County Fair Board. The weather forecast is looking pretty clear this week, and attendance at grandstand events has been growing over the past few years, Sleiter said.

Sleiter and Fair Board secretary Deloris Richards said there are going to be a variety of new events for the public to enjoy this year. The list includes food, entertainment and salutes to agriculture.

“We’re opening the fair with a steak fry on Wednesday,” Sleiter said. The event starts at 5 p.m., and will feature guest speaker Dan Lemke of the Linder Farm Network. Sleiter said organizers hope to have 500 to 600 people at the steak fry. “We’ve got a lot of tickets sold,” he said.

New events will be spread throughout the fair schedule. Woody’s Axe Throwing will be at the fair on Friday, and a free pancake breakfast sponsored by the Farm Bureau will be held Saturday morning. Two new events on Sunday include a community church service in the fairgrounds’ hoop barn, and bingo sponsored by the Marshall American Legion Post, Richards said.

Music and entertainment are also big parts of this year’s lineup. Merriam’s Carnival is returning to the fair this year, and performances by Los Moralitos Circus will be held Wednesday through Saturday. Musical performances at the fair will include groups like the Whitesidewalls, Red Dirt Band, Hicktown Mafia and IV Play.

“We’re really looking forward to having them,” Sleiter said.

Popular grandstand events like the PRCA Rodeo and demolition derby are also returning to the fair this week. The rodeo starts Thursday night, and the demo derby is Saturday. Sleiter said both events had sold-out crowds last year.

While there’s a lot of planning that goes into the fair each year, Sleiter said it couldn’t happen without area residents. “We want to thank the community for their support,” he said.

For more fair information and events schedules, go online to https://lyoncountyfairmn.com