BY SHERI McWHIRTER
smcwhirter@record-eagle.com
KALKASKA — Serena Hardy stood in the rabbit barn at Kalkaska County's fairgrounds and held a young black and white bunny named Cookie, its nose nestled in her neck.
"I like bunnies. They are very fun to play with," said Serena, 7, of Mancelona, as she rubbed the soft spot between Cookie's ears.
The annual Kalkaska County Fair kicked off Friday and will continue through Sunday, including livestock contests, a craft fair, games, a derby and both a tractor and truck pull.
Serena took two first-place prizes with rabbits she raised, as did her sister Hannah, 12. Hannah said raising rabbits is more than just fun.
"I like getting the trophies," she said, nodding toward her blue-and-gold prize atop her rabbit cage.
Hannah opened the cages' hinges and slipped the rabbits little bits of dried kiwi and papaya, a special treat to keep them happy after their inspection by judge Heidi Elliott.
"It takes a lot of care. You have to train your rabbit. You don't want your rabbit to scratch and bite," Elliott said. "They are so cute, but they can get ornery."
At a nearby barn, Breeann and Ashlee Sterner, of Kalkaska, prepared to show their feisty black-faced lambs that bounded around a large enclosure.
"They're fun," said Breeann, 12.
"And fluffy," said Ashlee, 9.
It takes a lot of work to raise lambs, the sisters agreed, but said the fun is worth it.
"You should see them run across the field at our house. They jump. They look like kangaroos," Ashlee said.
Animals aren't all that's featured at the fair.
Margaret Beebe has entered a knitting competition for 25 years and this time submitted a bright orange clown fish made as a child's toy. She made her first fish for a great-grandson whose siblings also craved their own, she said.
"So now I'm just making Nemos," she laughed.
Dawn Moses, fair president, said there are fewer competition entries and less livestock at this year's fair after the local 4-H organization opted to hold an expo in July. Nevertheless, the fair will continue, and there's plenty to see and do, she said.
"We offer the opportunity for kids to show whether or not they are in 4-H," Moses said.
Additionally, the inaugural Kalkaska Kaliseum Hunting Expo is under way next door at the Kaliseum. Displays there include archery, gun and knife dealers, taxidermists and outfitters.
Call 499-4424 for more information about the hunting expo, or visit www.kalkaskacountyfair.com for details about the fair.
