SYRACUSE – The spotlight at the Otoe County Fair’s open class exhibits  is on crafters, photographers, cool toys of days gone by and garden tips for the future.

Crafts Judge Deb Unterseher of Sutton commented on the greatest exhibit on three wheels.

Unterseher: “They used a lot of creativity even clear up to the head and the hair on top of the sculpture.”

Rick Holbert recycled parts from an old lawn tractor and auto parts to make a new sheriff in town with a wild ride.

Unterseher: “He wants me to get up on that. I don’t know …”

 

Exhibitors answered the wood pallet challenge with Amanda Wellsandt combining a pallet with a wood bowl from a previous generation for her mud kitchen. A baby’s crib sheet with straps to hold the infant in place was entered in antiques, as well as a 1964 Christmas gift to Gerald Gartner.

Antiques: “This might be my favorite thing. ... This was my favorite.”

Hands Up Harry invited players to use an included dart gun to shoot off Harry’s hat and disarm him of his pistols. A shot to his belt buckle is said to have dropped Harry’s drawers.

The flower show highlighted the fair theme of “Fair Game” with a wagon load of pigs playing basketball and soccer.

 

 Vegetable Show Superintendent Bob Brandt said the county’s gardeners continue to pursue Duane Hansen’s record of a 5.2-pound onion.

 

Brandt: “I think there’s a lot of people who understand that raising food is not only healthy, but it’s fun. It’s fun to give away, like I eat about six onions a year but I grow about 1,000 pounds of them every year. I don’t know, everybody appreciates a good onion.”

New to the open class show this year is the Nebraska Through the Lens rural photo contests, which was won by Riley Essink of Syracuse.

 Rick Holbert of Syracuse entered "The New Sheriff" metal sculpture