The popular Fun on the Farm exhibit will return to the fairgrounds Aug. 28-29, offering children a hands-on look at agriculture and the journey food takes from the farm to the family table.

Fun on the Farm is a permanent, free exhibit at the Sanpete County Fair. The project was created by Calan Olsen after a suggestion from his grandfather, Steve Frischknecht. What began as an idea has grown into an interactive agricultural experience that has become a favorite stop for families attending the fair.

Located inside the fairgrounds behind the swimming pool, Fun on the Farm takes children through a series of buildings, each centered around a different farm animal.

The adventure begins when visitors put on an apron and receive a basket. As they make their way through the exhibit, they participate in activities, learn about agriculture and collect products such as milk, honey, eggs, bacon, fruit and vegetables.

Along the way, children can try their hand at milking a cow, holding a cockroach, branding a cow, carding wool, roping a steer and riding tractors, among other activities.

Once they have gathered their farm products, participants take them to the market, where they trade them for a Fun on the Farm dollar. That dollar can then be spent at the Fun on the Farm store for a treat or prize.

Red, White and MOO

This year’s Sanpete County Fair theme is “Red, White, and MOO,” and Fun on the Farm is celebrating the theme by putting the spotlight on one of the most important animals on the farm — the cow.

Several new activities and additions are planned for this year’s exhibit.

The cow building received its siding last year, and this year black cow spots in a variety of shapes will be added to the building. Children can participate in an “I Spy” activity by picking up a sheet at the white milk cow building and searching for the different shapes.

Story time will also be offered throughout the weekend, with volunteers reading funny cow stories to children.

Story times will be held Friday at 5 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. The readings will take place at the shelter north of the Fun on the Farm store.

Another new feature is the Fun on the Farm Kindness Rock Garden. Children and families are invited to bring painted rocks to add to the garden or trade one of their rocks for one already there.

Organizers would especially like to see plenty of cow-themed rocks join the collection.

Reading, creativity and a little competition

Fun on the Farm also continues to encourage children to learn outside the fairgrounds.

The Fun on the Farm Reading Challenge is available through the Sanpete County Fair website and Facebook page, at Sanpete County libraries and in the fair magazine. The program is designed for children from kindergarten through fifth grade during the 2025-26 school year.

Children who complete the reading challenge can earn a ticket to the Thursday night Sanpete County Fair Rodeo.

Young artists can also participate in the “Design a Cow” contest, which is open to all ages.

Participants can take the cow coloring page and use their creativity to fill it with colors and designs. Completed creations will be displayed throughout the Fun on the Farm buildings, and participants will receive a cow-themed prize.

The coloring page is available in the fair magazine as well as on the Sanpete County Fair’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

For families looking for another way to explore the fair, a Goosechase Challenge will be available for the first 50 teams. The activity will focus on the Sanpete County Fair and Fun on the Farm, with prizes awarded to the top two teams.

And for those who enjoy a scavenger hunt, there will be a mini cow hidden in each building.

Children who find all of the mini cows can take one home when they reach the Fun on the Farm store.

Plan your visit

Fun on the Farm will be open Friday, Aug. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The exhibit will close before the Saturday parade and will not reopen afterward, so families planning to visit should make Fun on the Farm part of their fair schedule early in the day.

Children in second grade and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Admission to Fun on the Farm is free.

Keeping Fun on the Farm growing

Fun on the Farm is operated through donations from individuals and businesses who want to support agricultural education and provide a unique experience for children at the Sanpete County Fair.

Bronze, Silver and Gold donor plaques are displayed at the exhibit to recognize those who have helped make the project possible.

Donations of $100 or more can be recognized on one of the donor plaques. Contributions are tax deductible, and donors are asked to indicate that their donation is for “Fun on the Farm.”

Donations can be mailed to:

Sanpete County Fair Fun on the Farm

c/o Stacey Carlisle

640 East 70 South

Manti, Utah 84642

Visitors can also help support the future of Fun on the Farm by purchasing special merchandise, including shirts, pins, hats, keychains, aprons, 3-D animals and earrings.

For families attending the Sanpete County Fair, Fun on the Farm offers more than another activity for children. It provides an opportunity for youngsters to experience agriculture in a way they can see, touch and understand.

And with this year’s “Red, White, and MOO” theme, there should be plenty of cows — and plenty of fun — waiting behind the swimming pool.