Faribault County Fair Board members Marlin Krupp, left, and Robin Stenzel, with the new fair mascot, Felix the Fox.

The Faribault County Fair Fair Board is busy getting everything planned for this year’s big event, and that includes promoting the fair in several ways.

At the fair board’s meeting on Monday night, June 13, they talked about a new way the fair is going to be promoted.

A new Faribault County Fair mascot, who is named Felix the Fox after a recent contest to name the mascot ended with Felix being the favorite name, will make his debut this summer.

The idea to have a fair mascot was from Ava Tvedten, whose husband, Rob Tvedten, is one of the fair board’s vice presidents.

“I went with my husband, Rob, to the Minnesota County Fairs Convention in the Twin Cities,” she says. “They talked about self promotion, self awareness and not just locally, but around the area. And not just before the fair, but year round.”

One of the things she learned about was having a mascot at the fair.

“It seemed like a good opportunity to help with the fair promotion,” she says. “And not just be a form of amusement at the fair, but a way to give back to the community, be out in the county and in the small towns.”

Part of the plan is to have Felix the Fox attend all the town parades that happen before the fair.

“The idea is to partner with a local business,” Tvedten explained. “So not just have Felix hand out candy, but perhaps promotional items from a business, too.”

Other ideas include having Felix attend community events, things like a firemen’s dance or a benefit. There is also a possible scavenger hunt for kids and adults at the county fair itself.

“We have some ideas on how to use Felix to promote the fair and Faribault County,” Tvedten says. “We are getting a uniform for Felix, which will be a T-shirt with the Faribault County Fair logo on it.”

The fair board authorized the purchase of the fox costume at their May 9 meeting, at a cost of $439.

At the June 13 meeting, the board divvied up which board members would attend the parades to promote the fair. The board also learned their fair book with the open class premium list in it will be completed by Monday, June 20. They divvied up who would be driving the books to various businesses around the area for distribution of the book.

They also authorized advertising the fair in various publications in the area.

In other business at the last County Fair Board meeting, the board:

• Authorized putting in a power overhead door in the 4-H building at a cost of $900.

• Voted to increase pay for ticket takers and other workers at the fair to go to $15 per hour from $12 per hour.

Also voted to increase the wage for Open Class superintendents from $150 to $200.

• Heard an update on the Flea Junktion at the fair from chairperson Carolyn Zierke. She has 25 vendors signed up so far, and the posters are just going out.

• Took a look at the “Green Building” on the fairgrounds which is missing three windows, and discussed ways to fix the problem.