CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Aug. 31, 2018
Things started up early on Friday morning with a gaggle of children from local schools and daycares arriving for a tour around the grounds.
They gathered by the stage in the beer tent to take in performers like TEX the Comedy Cowboy, who elicited shrieks and laughs with his routine.
In the arena, members of the local 4-H Club decked out in their white outfits presented their animals for the judges as part of their local achievement day.
Just outside, some magnificent heavy horses were getting put through their paces for their line classes.

In the far corner of the grounds, the Pontiac Museum had their doors open, inviting visitors to come browse the host of artifacts on display.
Simon Côté-Ryshpan, a summer worker at the museum, estimated that they had over 300 people through the facility by mid-Friday and said that donations had been generous.
The constant stream of livestock into the arena continued through the afternoon with the Charolais, Maine-Anjou and Shorthorn shows, followed up by the popular heavy horse show as the day wore on.
Local band Beyond Driven opened up the evening’s entertainment with their upbeat sound, with a follow-up performance in the beer tent to close out the night.