The recent August heat has complicated the Mower County Fair celebration by driving down attendance and pushing back events.

To combat the heat, the fair workers brought in fans from other counties as far as St. Paul to help cool down buildings and livestock. Pigs were particularly targeted because of their inability to sweat.

“We work on a case by case basis. If an animal is in threat of overheating, we do what we can to take care of it,” said John Mueller, president of the fair board.

In addition, the fair committee pushed back the hog show by two hours and the bull riding by one hour yesterday to take advantage of cooler temperatures later in the day.

The temperatures also drove down the attendance at the fair.

“I would say the heat has affected the attendance. You got the bright sunshine and heat and maybe a few less come at that time,” said Mueller. “However, we still get good attendance, and the venders are understanding because they know that fairs are very weather dependent.”

The temperature peaked at 90 degrees at 3:35 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. A heat advisory was issued for much of the area.

Fair official hope for attendance to increase this weekend as weather temperatures diminish. The National Weather Service forecasts a high of 86 degrees today, a high of 84 on Saturday and a high of 76 on Sunday.