PHOTOS: Johnson County Fair in Gardner ends with music and merriment
The annual event in downtown Gardner is a hub for agricultural events featuring live music, food, art vendors and a carnival.
Legacy Murphy showed off her steer Grizzly during the livestock auction at the Johnson County Fair on Saturday, Aug. 2. Grizzly ultimately sold for $6,750. A senior 4-H member, Murphy has shown over 100 animals at the Johnson County Fair over the years. Photo credit Juliana Schnittker.
The final day of this year’s Johnson County Fair kicked off this past Saturday with a parade through Gardner.
Performing arts and sports groups from Gardner Edgerton High School walked alongside elected officials, including Gardner Mayor Todd Winters, Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson and Kansas state Sen. Doug Shane, as well as other local businesses and civic organizations.
The Johnson County Fair, which ran from July 26 through August 2 in downtown Gardner, was a hub for agricultural events, live music, food and art vendors, and a carnival fit for young children and daredevils alike.
Local 4-H clubs of Johnson County were a large contributor to the fair’s daytime events. The 4-H Council is a collection of regional youth development clubs administered by the US Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
At this year’s Johnson County Fair, students in the 4-H program auctioned livestock, helped run food stands and tables to display their projects.
Before Saturday’s livestock auction, Gary Gallimore and Karen Allison were awarded the Ralph E. Schlagel Volunteer Service Award by Theresa Cogswell and the family of the late Ralph Schlagel, who was once president of the Farm Bureau and the Johnson County Fair Board.
Gallimore and Allison received the award for a lifetime of supporting Johnson County’s community of farmers and students entering the agricultural field.
Saturday’s carnival opened at 4 p.m., drawing a mostly young crowd to try their luck at winning prizes and test their stomachs on a variety of rides.
By the time the sun set, the main stage had seen performances from Casey Donahew, Hayden Coffman, and Colby Swift.
Tim Nowell performed last, delivering a final sendoff to the 2025 Johnson County Fair.
See the Post’s pictures from the event:
Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson handed out plastic badges to young parade attendees. The parade showcased police vehicles from 17 cities in Johnson County. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Parade judges (from left) Brian Huff, Judy Harlan, Anne Strack, and Ron Stricker, who also acted as parade announcer, watched the Gardner-Edgerton High School Trailblazers Marching Band perform. The band opened the parade with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.A fireman unfurled the American flag draped over North Center Street, the first stretch of the parade route. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The parade made its way south down North Center Street before turning onto Main Street. The fairgrounds were just a block away. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Brody Galen and Kylie Galen, volunteers at the Johnson County Fair, raked debris from sheep and goat pens in preparation for the day’s fairgoers. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Fairgoers began to trickle into the grounds as the parade wrapped up, but the fair remained quiet in the morning before the crowds accumulated throughout the final day on Saturday, Aug. 2. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.After the carnival opened, the fairgrounds were bustling on Saturday evening. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.While lines were long for carnival rides, one young fairgoer had an alien companion keeping him company as he waited to board the “Stampede”. The alien was actually a prize won earlier at the sledgehammer game. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Fairgoers took a spin on the Ferris wheel at dusk. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The “Planet Rock and Roll” funhouse took fairgoers through a two-story maze of unique rooms. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Nyla (left) and Tyrus Brown received a goldfish prize after landing a ball in a fishbowl at the “Goldfish Game”. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Families enjoyed a variety of spinning rides, such as the carousel and go karts. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The enrichment barn provided activities well into the night, such as a chance to meet rabbits and other small farm animals. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Those who made the journey to the top of the slide were rewarded with a quick ride back down. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The lights and colors of the carnival illuminated the field before it finally closed at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.
Julian Schnittker is a freelance photographer who graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School and now attends George Washington University. More of his work can be found here.
