The 140th Fayette County Fair will officially open on Monday with plenty of shows and attractions to begin the week.
Recently, the Record-Herald spoke with Faith Cottrill, Fayette County Senior Fairboard secretary, about the upcoming fair week from July 15-20.
On Monday, July 15, the day will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting at the gate and will continue into the Guys & Gals Lead at the sales arena starting at 5:30 p.m. Throughout the day, the Fayette County Junior Fair will also hold a few shows, including rabbit showmanship, a poultry show and the 4-H Style Revue. This year the gate sponsor is Scott Antique Markets. Also around this time, a flag retirement ceremony will be held at the McDonald’s Grandstand at 6 p.m.
This year the first big McDonald’s Grandstand attraction will be Autocross at 7 p.m. Promoted by Smash It Demolition Derby, Autocross will include five classes, including front wheel drive car, rear wheel drive car, compact truck/mini vans, large truck/four-by-four vehicle and an open class. All classes will pay the top three with $500 going to the winner. For more information or questions, call (740) 857-2033 and rules can be found on www.smashitderby.com.
Currently, the weather forecasted for next week looks to be warm and either partly cloudy or raining. Sunday should start the week with partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 86 degrees. Temperatures throughout the week are expected to remain about the same at mid to high 80s, up to a possible 90 degrees on Saturday, July 20. Scattered thunderstorms could be possible Tuesday evening, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but chances for rain are currently 50 percent or below each day.
“The biggest thing is if it’s too hot for you, make sure you do something for the animals too,” Daryl Waits, veterinarian for the Fayette County Fair, said. “Whether that is a fan blowing air over them, giving them some clean, fresh and cool water, for rabbits and other small animals, it could mean putting frozen water bottles in their cage or just taking them out and rinsing them off like you would in a pool or playing with the garden hose. If it’s uncomfortable for us, then it’s uncomfortable for them, especially because it’s a place where they aren’t used to. We want to put on a good exhibition and show off all of our work from over the winter and summer, but we want to make sure the animals are taken care of while they are there.”
Organizers are encouraging the community to join in the opening ceremony being held on Sunday, July 14 at 2:30 p.m. at the McDonald’s Grandstand. Following the ceremony at about 4 p.m., the Junior Fair board will divide into teams and compete to see who will win a $500 cash prize that will be donated to a charity of their team’s choice for the first Junior Fair Olympics.
Finally, Cottrill also spoke about recent improvements to the grounds. She said that within the last year several improvements were made, including a new roof on the Mahan Building, new fans in the Sales Arena — courtesy of Cottrill and Cargill — and new mulch in the barns. Additionally, a new rear end mower for the infield was purchased, a tractor was leased from JD Equipment to pull it, and the old schoolhouse on the grounds received new windows. Finally, Tony’s Welding and Fabrication donated time and resources to put up a new fence at the main gate.
“A lot of improvements have been made to the grounds,” Cottrill said. “We really are looking forward to a week of entertainment and we hope the community enjoys.”
General admission at the Fayette County Fair this year is $10 per person and this admission fee includes rides and grandstand attractions. Children 24-months-old and under are free, or the charge is $7 for rides.
Weekly, daily and mega-passes have been on sale at the fairgrounds since June 1. No passes will be sold after July 14 at 2 p.m. A weekly pass, which includes daily admission (one pass per person), is $35. Rides are not included (daily ride pass is $7). One-day pre-sale tickets (rides not included) are $7.
A $45 mega-pass includes rides (rides operate Monday evening through Saturday evening) and are good for all six days of the fair.
A lunch ticket may be purchased at the gate for $10. These tickets are good for one hour and may be redeemed at the gate upon leaving if done so within this one-hour time limit. All tickets will be punched upon entering the grounds. Hands must be stamped upon entering the grounds in order to return the same day.
Finally, No dogs are allowed on the fairgrounds at any time and the fair hours are Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Rides operate daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., and there is free grandstand and parking on a nightly basis.
Stay with the Record-Herald for more coverage of the 140th Fayette County Fair from July 15-20.
Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy.
