2024
Muscatine County Fair Book - Rules and Regulations
Rules and Regulations
Judges
To be determined
Rules
INTERPRETATION, AMENDMENT AND VIOLATIONS
- The Muscatine County Fair management reserves the final and absolute right to interpret these rules and regulations and arbitrarily settle and determine all matters, questions, and differences in regard there to, or otherwise arising out of, connected with, or incident to the Fair.
- The Fair Management reserves the right to amend or add to these rules, as it in its judgment, may deem advisable.
- Any person who violates any of the following or special rules will forfeit all privileges and premiums and be subject to such penalty as the governing board may order.
- The Fair management reserves the right to make any corrections or changes in ANY premium list.
ENTRIES AND EXHIBITS
- Exhibitors must have entry cards on all articles entered, as articles without cards are not eligible for premium.
- All entries (except where otherwise stated) must be made with the Muscatine County FairCoffice before the entry deadline listed under the respective divisions. Entry fees (if any) are to be paid at time of entering.
- Amounts of entry fees and stall rent and deadline dates for filing entries with the Fair Manager are listed on the respective pages of each division.
- All entries in the livestock department must be made in the bonafide owner’s name. In the departments of Fine Arts, Hobbies, Ceramics, Needlework, and Culinary skill, the entries must be made in the name of the person who made or manufactured the article. In Fruits and Vegetables, Flowers and Farm Products the entries must be in the name of the person growing or producing the display. In Antiques the entries must be in the owner’s name.
- Livestock and exhibits must be on the grounds according to the schedule printed in the rules for the respective divisions.
- Exhibitors must keep their stalls open and stock uncovered from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during each day of exhibition.
- All exhibits, including livestock, must be kept in the proper place. All entries must remain in place until specified release time or premium money will be forfeited.
- No person proposing to enter for premium shall be permitted to examine the entry books. Any person so doing shall forfeit the right to enter therein.
- The Muscatine County Fair expressly reserves the right to reject any or all entries in any department.
- The Fair will take every possible precaution for the safekeeping of all stock and articles on exhibition after their arrival and arrangement, but will not be responsible for any loss or damage that may occur.
- The Fair Management allows Superintendents the right to put entries into the correct category if they have been entered in the wrong class.
RELEASE OF EXHIBITS
- No livestock shall be removed from the grounds until stated time, unless permitted by the Manager of the Fair on recommendation of the Superintendent of the Division.
- All other divisions will be released at 4:00 p.m. Sun, of the Fair and should be claimed no later than 6:00 p.m. that day.
LIVESTOCK
- No animal can be entered or exhibited as purebred unless the same has been recorded in the recognized books of record for their respective breeds, and exhibitors must produce certificates of registry at request of the superintendent in charge, any time during the Fair.
- All livestock entries at this Fair must meet the health requirements of the Iowa Division of Animal Husbandry.
- Livestock barns must be kept clean and all aisles. Stalls and pens shall be cleaned before 8:00 a.m. daily of trash and is to be disposed of as the superintendent may direct. Space over which fair visitors must walk in viewing livestock must be kept clean at all times.
- All fans and other electrical equipment used in the livestock barns must meet with the requirements of the Muscatine County Fair electrical safety code and stand inspection by their agents.
- Smoking and the use of intoxicating beverages or drugs in the barns or exhibit area will not be tolerated. Exhibitors shall be responsible for the behavior of their persons and associated persons.
STALL AND PEN FEES
- All applications for stalls and pens should be sent directly to the Fair Office at the time entries are made. Stall or pen assignments will be made by the department superintendent. Stalls and pens will not be reserved unless entries are accompanied by the required fees. (See respective divisions).
PREMIUMS
- An article MUST be meritorious to draw a premium and shall be entitled to first premium ONLY IF MERITORIOUS. First and second premiums may be awarded to one person, but the Fair WILL NOT pay second premium where there is no competition.
- The Fair Management reserves the right to withhold premium money and remove placings from any exhibitor who does not abide by the Rules & Regulations set forth by the Fair.
SUPERINTENDENTS
- Superintendents shall have full charge of their departments and will make recommendationsto the manager and fair board.
CONCESSIONS
- The Manager will have complete charge of this department. The manager will allocate such spaces as they deem advisable and make such charges for same as they see necessary. Each concessionaire must confine themselves to the space assigned.
JUDGING
- The Fair will, as much as possible, secure experts to award the premiums in all departments and all judges will be selected by the executive committee. No appeal from the decision of the judges will be considered by the Board, except in the cases of fraud and protest.
- During judging no person will be admitted in the ring or on the stand except exhibitors of stock then on exhibition, committee men and officers.
- If any false statement is made in respect to an article or animal, or any exhibitor interferes in any way with the committee in the awards by drawing attention to the particular points or otherwise, unless by the request of committee men, such articles or animals shall be ruled out and will not be eligible for premium.
PROTESTS
- All protests must be made in writing and accompanied by a deposit of $100 for the livestock department and $50 for all other departments, which will be forfeited if protest is not sustained. Such protests must state plainly the cause of complaint or appeal and must be filed with the Fair Manager within 12 hours after cause of protest. No complaint or appeal based upon the statement that a judge is or judges are incompetent will be considered. Judges’ decisions will be final.
PUBLIC SAFETY
- The Fair will furnish the best possible police protection for autos and other vehicles, but will not be responsible for theft or other damages.
- Each exhibitor or concessionaire will be solely responsible for any consequential or other loss, injury, or damage done to or occasioned by, or arising from any animal or article exhibited by him, and shall indemnify the Muscatine Co. Fair against all legal proceedings in regard thereto.
- In no case will the Muscatine County Fair be responsible, in any way, for any loss, damage or injury of any character to any person, property or article while same is on the fairgrounds or at any time or place be liable for or make any payment for damage, loss or injury.
- The Muscatine Co. Fair will not be responsible for any loss or damage caused by or arising out of strikes, riots, lockouts, acts of God, etc. Exhibitors or animals, machinery in motion and other exhibits liable to occasion accidents, injury or damage to persons coming in contact with them, shall guard their exhibits and protect the public from coming in contact therewith, and every such exhibitor shall indemnify the Muscatine Co. Fair from and against all claims and demands, costs, charges and expenses which it may incur, suffer, or be put to, by reason of any exhibit not properly guarded or the public not being properly guarded there from. Any entry, exhibit, or concession shall be deemed an acceptance of these rules.
ADVERTISING
- No person will be permitted to distribute any printed or advertising matter in buildings or any part of the grounds, except an exhibitor from his own booth or building occupied by his exhibit.
- No begging or soliciting will be permitted on the grounds.