Recapping The First Day of the 70th Annual Dubuque County Fair (PHOTOS)

The first day of the 70th Annual Dubuque County Fair was Tuesday, July 25th. It was "Free Day" at the Fairgrounds, which meant kids and adults alike got in at no charge. In addition, carnival rides were merely one ticket each for both kids and adults. As soon as the rides opened, they hardly stopped.

It was just some of the fun that took place during the first day of the landmark event that brings people from all over the Tri-States and the larger parts of eastern Iowa together. It was only my second experience at the Dubuque County Fair, having moved last year, but I knew I wasn't going to let this year slip by without at least a couple visits to the mecca of summer fun in the area.

Here is the breakdown of all that took place during the first day of the Dubuque County Fair:

• 8am: Grounds open
• 9am: 4-H/FFA Horse and Pony Show - Horse Arena
• 9am: 4-H/FFA Horse Sheep Show - Swine Barn
• 9am: 4-H/FFA Horse Dairy Goat - Show Barn
• 9am: 4-H/FFA Horse Dairy Show - Show Barn
• 10am - 8pm: Creative Arts Building/Kids Corner Open
• 10am - 8pm: Country Store Open
• 10am - 8pm: 4-H Building Exhibits Open to the Public
• 11am: Bohm's Family Show - Exhibit Grounds
• 11am - 7pm: Chain Saw Carvings
• 11am - 8pm: Exhibit Hall Open
• 11am - 8pm: Creative Adventure Lab - Exhibit Building
• 12pm: Nature Nick's Animal Adventures
• 12:30pm: 4-H/FFA Horse Meat Goat Show - Swine Barn
• 12:30pm 4-H/FFA Horse Dairy Cows - Livestock Arena
• 1 - 5pm: Bingo - Across from the Grandstands
• 2pm: Bohm's Family Show - Exhibit Grounds
• 3pm: Nature Nick's Animal Adventures
• 4pm: North American Midway Rides Open (Any and all rides are only one ticket each with no age limit, $2/ticket)
• 4pm: Dubuque Dance - Blain's Stage in the Festival Garden
• 6pm: Opening Ceremony - Mainstage
• 6:30pm: Bohm's Family Show - Exhibit Grounds
• 7pm: Nature Nick's Animal Adventures
• 7pm: Penny Gilly - Mainstage
• 7:30pm: Johnny Cash Tribute - Mainstage
• 8pm: Ken Peiffer, DJ - Blain's Stage in the Festival Garden
• 8:30pm: Neil Diamond Tribute - Mainstage

I spent a great deal of my time at the 103.3 WJOD booth, where Ken Peiffer was doing his afternoon show, greeting fairgoers, handing out prizes to kids, and raffling off an arsenal of WJOD shirts autographed by country music stars.

There was so much to do and see on the first day of the Dubuque County Fair. I compiled a handful of photos into the gallery below! Check them out, and see the complete schedule for the 70th Annual Dubuque County Fair here!