Fair All Set For This Weekend
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Everything is set for the annual Ste. Genevieve County Fair.
Things kick off with the Fair Queen public speaking and talent competition Thursday evening at 5:30.
On Friday the queen fashion competition and crowning will take place at 10:30 a.m.
That afternoon the parade will start at 4 p.m., Friday, and will take a different route
“Police asked if we could not cross Highway 61 because it takes a lot of effort to shut down a highway,” Fair Board member avid Bova said
This year the parade will start at Pere Marquette Park, then will come down Main Street, then take the usual Homecoming parade route, of Jefferson to Fourth Street, to Market, and then back up Main to the Fairgrounds.
The Fairgrounds, meanwhile, have gotten extensive refurbishing in the past year.
“A big thanks to the county for continuing to spruce up the fairgrounds property,” Bova said.
Temperatures may be moderate for the second straight year. Forecasts, at press time, were calling for highs in the high 80s to very low 90s, with some cloud cover – and slight chances of rain each day.
Of course a county fair here without a thunderstorm is almost unthinkable.
A couple of former offerings are being brought back this year.
“The tractor pull is back this year, after not having one for several years,” Bova noted. “That will be a free event on Sunday.
The board has also brought back remote control micro-car racing, with “Victory Lane.” It was last here in 2019.
Thorny Ridge Exotics petting zoo is also new this year.
“So we’ve added some kid events,” Bova said. “We continue to look for carnival rides, but there are very few of them left to bring to a fair. It would probably end up that we would have to charge either entry to the fair or parking, or both.”
The live Sam Hadl Band on Saturday will be noon to 4 p.m., rather than in the evening. It will avoid competing with the demolition derby and livestock auction that way.
On Saturday from 9 am. to 2 p.m. an armband will be offered for $20. It will allow a child to play on any of the inflatables as much as they want during those hours.
Two new food trucks will be added. One is called Mollie’s Hutch, with carnival food. The other has Pilipino food Porkburgers, hamburgers and the usual favorites will also be available.
“Of course we have all the agricultural and livestock exhibits, the livestock sale, 4-H exhibits,” Bova said. “The stuff that’s always been part of our fair will continue to be there.”
The board was totally reorganized a few months prior to the 2022 fair, which led to a couple of small hitches last year. Bova feels like everything is ironed out this year.
“We’re still a fairly new fair board, but things have come together fairly well,” Bova said. “There are so many groups to thank, like 4-H, youth and swine. Todd Byington puts on a great truck pull every year and a new gentleman is running the domo derby. His name is Josh Wagner. Chris Sinn and Lisa Hartley are bringing back the tractor pull. Of course they county has been very wonderful with all they’ve done up there.”
The free petting zoo is 4-10 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. The donkey rides ($5) are the same hours.
The remote control racecars, carnival games and inflatables will be in action 4-9 p.m., Friday, noon to 8 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday.
The youth beef show is 8:30 a.m., Saturday, with the small animal show at 11 a.m.
The Quarter Scramble will be at 2 pm. Sunday in the show barb, with the pedal pull at 3 p.m.
The Power Wheels competition will be at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, just before the Demo Derby at 7 p.m.
For adults, the Chicken Chip Squares competition will be at 6 p.m., Friday. The tractor pull is at 9 a.m. on Sunday.