It’s Fair time again! Stevens County’s annual Fair will begin in earnest Thursday, July 23, with the 4-H Fashion Revue beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Hall. Friday evening, several Stevens County girls will compete for the crown beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Sorghum Queen contest in the Middle School Auditorium.
Saturday morning, get out to the Fairgrounds for the horse show at 8:30 a.m. The 4-H classes will go first, followed by open class entries. Timed events will be last. Later Saturday evening, head out to Dirtona for some dirt track action and the United Rebel Sprint Series! Pits open at 4:00 p.m., and the races will start at 7:00 p.m.
This year, for even more community spirit, each day of Fair Week will be extra fun as residents wear special clothing items! Monday, fairgoers are requested to wear red, while camo apparel is the order of the day for Tuesday. Wednesday will definitely be fun with Crazy Hat Day! Thursday’s request for “Wear Shorts Day” should be easy to accomodate, if the usual July heat is prevalent. For Friday, all fairgoers – men and women, boys and girls, young and old – are instructed to wear pink!
Monday, July 27, will begin with the Fair Work Day at 9:30 a.m. Then make sure you get a good seat on Main for the Fair Parade beginning at 5:30 p.m.! The theme for this year is “Hats Off to the Stevens County Fair!” Afterward, take the kiddos over to the fairgrounds for Kids’ Night starting at 6:00 p.m. All kinds of activities will be available for kids in the Chester Kinser Arena Building. After Kids’ Night, the whole family can cool down under the tent while watching Two Way Crossing at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 28 will start off with the dog show and handheld pet show at 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. respectively. You’ll probably catch a whiff of the delicacies being prepared for the backyard cookoff from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you get too hungry, just stop by the fairgrounds at 11:30 a.m. for the Sheriff’s Department’s free hamburger and hot dog feed. While enjoying your lunch, sit under the tent for Professor Farquar and Polecat Annie’s show starting at 12:00 noon. The tractor pull will start at 6:00 p.m., with registration from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. At 8:00 p.m., you can relax under the tent as Women of Rock performs. Featuring two of the best vocalists in the Kansas City area, the Women of Rock is a tribute to the best female rock artists of the last three decades. Sisters Barbara and Lisa Bowman lead this group and are backed by some of Kansas City’s best musicians.
Wednesday, July 29, buildings will be closed for judging exhibits. As always, Wednesday night will be Community Worship Night with 3D Gospel and Delisa Dawn from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. under the big tent. Buildings will reopen at 7:00 p.m. and Old Timers registration will be from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. After it’s cooled off, around 8:00 p.m., the public can bid for tasty treats at the 4-H Food Auction!
Thursday, the fairground buildings will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Old Timers registration will run from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. At 8:00 p.m., gather the family for the free concert by The Phil Vandel Band. The band is a group of stellar musicians and singers consisting of Phil Vandel, Joe Brooks, Brian Herr, and Darrin Chumley. They have a repertoire of hundreds of songs and even though their roots are in country music, their extraordinary musical versatility offers something for almost everyone.
As the fair winds down Friday, July 31, there’s still plenty to do and see! Buildings will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Old Timers can register until 4:30 p.m. when their show begins. Be sure to get in line for Citizens State Bank’s annual Barbeque and Watermelon Feed beginning at 5:00 p.m. While you’re eating, applaud the Parade of Champions starting at 6:00 p.m. The final concert will be Jake Gill starting at 7:30 p.m. Jake grew up in Kansas, tried out for The Voice, and once opened for Jason Aldean. He has performed all over the United States, including Las Vegas.
Hope to see you at the Fair!