Open to all

Attendees of the Ionia Free Fair who took the time to walk through the Mercantile Bank building near the midway this past week were treated to a creative feast for the eyes. Entries in the fair’s annual open class contest this year ranged from wild violet jelly (made by Gage Therrian and his grandma Kris Stewart); a whimsical fairy garden made out of a log (resulting in adult best of show second runner-up for Lisa Tomkins); a duct tape box with four different scenes that change as the box is rotated (Presley Dankenbring won Kids Best of Show for this entry); and multiple Barbie dolls wearing finely crafted needlepoint garments.