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Walkabout at the 2012 Walworth County Fair

Photo

A woman and child take a walk past a flower garden near the Kiddieland area of the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn last year. At this year's fair, running Aug. 29-Sept. 3, the University of Wisconsin-Extension-Walworth County's Get Moving! program mixes walks around the grounds with some sightseeing and exercise.

ELKHORN--Your schedule at the Walworth County Fair? Well, you wanted to check out the animal barns, maybe see that chainsaw artist over in Kiddieland, head over to an entertainment stage to hear your favorite musical act, saunter over to the pig races, make a stop at the Midway like you promised the kids—oh, and get the cream puff you promised yourself.

Jenny Wehmeier hopes that serious mileage you’ll be putting in at the fair kick starts you into an exercise program like Get Moving!

Wehmeier, the family living educator for the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Walworth County, is also the program coordinator for Get Moving!, a county-wide program focusing on diet and exercise—like a daily walk—that got started this summer. So far, 660 residents have signed up for Get Moving!, she noted.

UW-Extension already offers Strong Bones and Healthy Hearts, and in the fall will launch Healthy Hearts Plus, which includes walking, strength training and nutrition education.

“We know that it takes eight to twelve weeks for a habit to form,” Wehmeier said. “That’s why you’ll find Get Moving! and Health Hearts Plus are this length. We hope to inspire people to make lifelong changes through these programs.”

Get Moving! is holding a series of hourly walks today, Aug. 29, starting at the Log Cabin near the Armory Gate on the fairgrounds. For a $3 fee for adults or $1 for kids under17, participants receive a t-shirt, water bottle, pedometer, and even a chance to win prizes, including cookbooks, bicycles, balls, jump ropes and gift certificates for local businesses.

Wehmeier said there are even themed events--like combining the walk with a guided trip through the animal barns or using your cell phone on the walk in a digital scavenger hunt—to make the walk more of a family affair.

“We want people to take a different look at the fair,” she said. “Some people only spend time in the animal barns or on the Midway. This will expose people to some of the best-kept secrets of the fair. We know that people spend a lot of time at the fair eating, too. Why not work off some of those extra calories while earning prizes and having fun?”

If you go

The Get Moving! walk events:

2 p.m. Digital Scavenger Hunt: Bring your cell phone or digital camera to compete a checklist of fair items to win prizes!

3 p.m. Animal Walk: Learn more about the animals of the fair while participating in a guided tour of the animal barns.

4 p.m. Coin Flip Walk: Which way will the walk lead? It’s all up to the flip of a coin.

5 p.m. Fair Bingo: Look for some silly things while trying to get bingo.

6 p.m. Poker Walk: Visit five stations on the fairgrounds to draw a card and win.