There will be magic in the air at this summer’s Montcalm County Fair, starting with two new free exhibits providing visitors with both entertainment and education.
Tim Balster, left, owner of the Wheels of Agriculture game show, takes the Trivia Tractor out for a mini-show at a county fair. The interactive, agriculture-themed trivia game will come to the Montcalm County Fair for three days June 24-26. — Submitted photo
Many fairs offer free entertainment, and Fair Board Treasurer Lisa Johnson said she started “hitting the ground hard” to line up at least one exhibit for 2020. Then the fair was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, Johnson visited a butterfly house herself, and knew it would be something that would appeal to Montcalm County fairgoers.
“I thought this would be really neat,” she said.
“They’ll be here all week, and people can visit more than once. I just think it will be something for the kids to do.”
Johnson lined up Butterfly Effects of Spring Hill, Florida, for this year’s fair. Owner Ted Moss will bring his House of Butterflies to the fairgrounds, where visitors can see butterflies that are native to Michigan in a screened-in exhibit area.
There are more than 750 different species of butterflies in the U.S., and each state has certain species indigenous to that area, said Moss. He is careful to bring “the right species to the right state” when he travels with his exhibit, he said. “Otherwise it can mess up the food chain, and a lot of different things in the area.”
In Montcalm County, that means visitors can expect to see the Eastern Monarch Butterfly, Painted Lady, and various Fritillary Butterflies up close. Everyone who enters also will receive a feeding stick smeared with nectar to encourage the butterflies to come even closer for viewing and photos.
Visitors of all ages enjoy viewing and feeding butterflies inside the House of Butterflies exhibit, a free attraction coming to the Montcalm County Fair. — Submitted photo
The exhibit also includes videos that explain the life cycle of the butterfly. There’s one that shows how to repair a monarch wing.
“Kids come out with a smile on their face. But not just kids — teenagers, senior citizens, all ages love it,” said Moss. “Everyone enjoys it. They have a great time.”
Moss started his business a few years back when he saw something similar at another fair. He liked the idea, especially knowing that butterflies, like bees, are pollinators. He figured he could have a business, and at the same time help the environment by keeping the butterfly population growing, he said.
“Butterflies seemed like a nice idea. We get to release them and that helps keep the species going,” said Moss. “They contribute so much to the world. If we don’t have them, we’ll be in serious trouble.”
Moss also offers a butterfly kit for purchase at around $5 at the exhibit. The kit includes two caterpillars, a monarch and painted lady — those are the easiest to grow at home, he said — and a food cup.
“You can watch the chrysalis grow, and then you can release the butterflies,” he said.
For more information, find The Butterfly Effects on Facebook at @butterflyfx.events.
Another new fair attraction this year is Wheels of Agriculture, an interactive, agriculture-based trivia game show for the whole family. Johnson said this one especially intrigued her, because while many people realize how important ag is to the community, “some aren’t sure what’s growing out there.”
“The trivia game is a way to teach people,” she added.
A young participant steps into the “Cash Cab” to collect money for prizes as part of the Wheels of Agriculture game show. The interactive game show asks agriculture-related questions that enable contestants and the whole audience to win prizes. The show comes to the Montcalm County Fair for three days June 24-26. — Submitted photo
Game show contestants and audience members win points and prizes by answering randomly selected questions about local and state agriculture, animals, plants and crops, food groups, farm and barnyard, music and other sounds.
The Wheels of Agriculture stage will provide three shows a day June 24-26. The Trivia Tractor, a similar but smaller strolling game show, will take the fun to other corners of the fairgrounds with two mini-shows each day.
Owner Tim Balster, who brings the show from his western Chicago suburb, said he prepares for all ages of game show players. The three rounds behind the booth will include questions for kindergartners through third graders, then fourth graders through high schoolers, and then there’s “a wild card.”
“Sometimes it’s all parents, or a parent and a child. You never know in the audience what you’re going to have,” he said. “Another way all ages are incorporated is we have an audience member spin. Even a youngster that wouldn’t be comfortable answering questions can have fun spinning the wheel.”
When contestants can’t answer a question, the audience has a chance to step in to help.
“If we get blank stares, we can give multiple choice. Even if that doesn’t help them get it right, eventually we’ll get the right answer,” Balster said, adding that there are components of luck to the show, too. “Even if you’re in last place, you can win because of luck.”
A young audience member spins the Wheels of Agriculture to see what category contestants will answer questions from. The interactive, agriculture trivia game will come to the Montcalm County Fair for three days June 24-26. — Submitted photo
With a lifelong interest in magic, Balster made money after college as a magician and illusionist doing shows at restaurants, theaters, fairs, festivals and other venues. He spent many years on the fair circuit with KidBucks, an interactive, high-energy game show at fairs. Eventually, rather than action relays, Balster wanted to do something that was fun but also incorporated education, and the Wheels of Agriculture was born.
“People just enjoy the fact that any age can get involved in this, whether they’re spinning the wheel, answering questions or in the crowd,” he said.
Balster said he figures Montcalm County people might even know more about agriculture than he does. Sounds like a challenge.
For more information, visit wheelsofagriculture.com/ or on Facebook at @WheelsofAgricultureGameShow.
