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By all indications, this year’s Mower County Fair was another unqualified success.

Fantastic temperatures and weather ruled the week, other than some stray showers and storms, meaning people had ample opportunity to enjoy both the old and the new of what our fair had to offer.

For these continuing successful runs, the fair relies on so many facets coming together and adding to the overall affair. From situations like this comes tradition and the Mower County Fair has one of the strongest traditions around.

However, the reality is that the fair won’t always be the same. This year, two new things were added in the Thorni Ridge Exotics Petting Zoo and Jurassic Kingdom. At the same time though, the fair also said goodbye to its oldest food stand: Herb & Murl’s.

Herb & Murl’s has been a fixture of the fair for 69 years and has been a tradition for many, many people who had to make a stop at the stalwart establishment for lunch or  one of its famed Wonder Bars.

For many it was a must-stop location if for no other reason than to say “hi” to the family that ran it for so many years. It was undeniable that Herb & Murl’s was one of those things that helped build the Mower County Fair into what it is today, but nothing lasts forever.

It certainly will be missed.