DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — This year marks the fair’s 154th celebration and for some, it’s more than just rides and food. It’s a way of life.
For families like the Wautiers, the Door County Fair has become a cherished tradition passed down through generations.
"My family has shown here since my sisters probably started in the 1950s," Jim Wautier said.
NBC26 was at the first day of the Door County fair, watch below:
At their stall in the cattle barn, a wall of family photos tells the story of a longstanding tradition.
"We have pictures here back from 1960," Wautier said.
Now, his 12-year-old grandson Kaiden is carrying on the tradition showing hogs, something he’s been doing for five years.
"They’ve taught me how to kinda show and tips to, like, raise them and that stuff," Kaiden Wautier said.
Reverend Anthony 'Tony' Birdsell has been a familiar face at the fair since the 1940s.
"I had my first educational poster here in 1941," Rev. Anthony 'Tony' Birdsell said.
Now he brings his plants and chickens to the fair.
"So it's a long, long tradition and the Birdsell tradition, to this day, is still continuing," Birdsell said.
Thad Ash says his family has been exhibiting animals at the fair since the 1950s.
"We’ve exhibited everything from beef, sheep, pigs, rabbits [and] dairy," Thad Ash said.
Now, his niece Libby is closing out her final county fair after eleven years of showing cattle.
"I’m sad to see it going, but it’s also the time for me to maybe step up in a different part of the fair and help out in different areas," Libby Ash said.
This year, 250 families are taking part in the fair, with more than 5,000 entries and about 600 exhibitors showing their work.
The families I talked to say they’re hoping to keep the tradition alive for generations.
