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This past Sunday was an enjoyable one as I got to take some friends to their first ever Farmers Appreciation Day in Dodgeville. Because they just recently moved to Dodgeville, they hadn't heard of Iowa County's big event to thank Wisconsin's farmers and I was excited to be able to show them around Harris Park and enjoy a great lunch up at the pavilion with them.
"Do a lot of people come to this?" my friend asked. We got to the entrance of Ley Memorial Pavilion and my friend seemingly answered her own question.
The pavilion was buzzing with activity, and the auction by On Point was just starting. Volunteers were setting up more tables so that hungry event goers could enjoy lunch. We headed to the back of the line for the steak sandwiches, and although it was long, it moved quickly.
I pointed out things as we waited, and raved about the pie and ice cream we could have for dessert. We listened to the auctioneer as a round of golf and two carts at Dodge-Point Country Club were auctioned off for a great price.
After the steak sandwiches were devoured, we headed to the Upland Hills Health Auxiliary Pie Sale, where only a few dozen slices were left! If we had finished lunch only a few minutes later, we might not have even gotten a slice!
We added ice cream from the 4-H stand, and wandered around the crowd. Everyone enjoyed their pie, made with love by the ladies of the auxiliary.
"I used to go to things like this all the time when I was kid," my friend said.
We watched as kids raced around the makeshift track on pedal tractors. We peeked outside to see kids bouncing down below on the soccer field in the bounce houses. After we finished our pie and ice cream, we walked over to the Farm Bureau Ag Education tent, where my friend tried to convince her boyfriend that she needed the cutest fuzziest baby bunny being cradled by a little girl.
I was proud to be able to show my friends what the great people of Dodgeville and the surrounding communities can do when we all work together. It takes many hands each year to make this event go off without a hitch, and I commend all the volunteers for their hard work this year and every year.
Thank you for such an enjoyable event, an event I'm proud to share with my friends. We all had a great time, and I'm sure I'll be bringing them back again next year!