Jackson fair ready for move to NEK Heritage Complex

For more than half a century, the Jackson County Fair has been a presence at the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 75 and Kansas Highway 16 in Holton, but today, it’s getting ready for its first full week at its new home south of Holton — the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex.

Jackson County 4-H Program Manager Cara Robinson said that for some, the new location may take some getting used to, but with the exception of the fair parade, everything will be ready to go this year at the Heritage Complex, lo­cated two miles south of Holton on U.S. 75 and half a mile west on 214th Road.

“We’re still trying to get the livestock pens set up and in place,” Robinson said. “The main thing right now is trying to get that all figured out and laid out in the new livestock barn. Other than that, we should be good to go.”

There are still some details to fi­nalize on some of the events that precede Fair Week — the location of the 4-H dog show, set for Satur­day, July 11, for one — but Robin­son said the transition has so far been a smooth one. Some of the events have been moved from their regular times in years past, how­ever.

“We’ve moved the bucket calf show to Tuesday, before the beef show, instead of having in on Wednesday morning,” she said. “On Wednesday afternoon, we’ll have the presentation of all the building awards, which we used to do on Friday night.”

The fair parade through Holton has been moved up half an hour to 6 p.m., which Robinson said allows the Fashion Revue, a Friday night staple, to be moved up to Wednes­day night, right before the 4-H tal­ent show. The talent and style shows will be held at the new fair­grounds’ Margaret Hund Amphi­theater, she noted.

“We’re trying to draw a bigger crowd to those events,” she said of the talent and style shows.

As for the animals — including cows, sheep, pigs and rabbits — they’ll have a temporary home in­side the recently-completed fair barn, where the “show ring” will be featured in the middle. The horse show will continue to be held out­side the barn, Robinson said.

Tents are being rented to facili­tate some events, she noted.

“We’ll have some big tents for the food auction and the presenta­tion of building awards,” she said. “We’ll also have them as a backup if we have to move the talent show and the Fashion Revue under there if it rains.”

Pre-entries are due on Wednes­day for this year’s fair. After that, the calendar for this year’s fair is as follows, with all main fair events except for the parade to be held at the Heritage Complex (schedule subject to change):

• Saturday, July 11: Dog show, 8:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, July 15: Fair­grounds set-up.

• Saturday, July 18: Horse show, with check-in at 7:30 a.m. and official start at 8 a.m.

• Tuesday, July 21: Pre-fair judging and consumer judging contest.

• Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25: Kraft Rodeo, starting at 8 p.m. both days.

• Sunday, July 26: Clothing buymanship display set-up, noon to 3 p.m.; decoration of hay bales; unloading of livestock from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; open class exhibit check-in from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and sheep and goat weigh-in/check-in from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

All swine need to be in place by 8 a.m. Monday, July 27. All beef exhibits need to be in place by 1 p.m. that same day.

• Monday, July 27: Swine weigh-in/check-in from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; open class exhibit check-in and 4-H exhibit check-in for items not judged prior to the fair, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; 4-H foods judging, 8:30 a.m.; food sale, 9:30 a.m.; rabbits in place, 10 a.m.; judging of building exhibits and open class exhibits, 1 p.m.; check-in for 4-H exhibits judged prior to the fair, 1:30 p.m.; market steer weigh-in from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion foods, 3:30 p.m.; Shepherd’s Lead, 5 p.m.; 4-H meat goat show, 5:15 p.m.; 4-H sheep show, 6 p.m.; food auction, 6 p.m.; and Farm Bureau Kiddie Tractor Pull, 7 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 28: 4-H hog show, 8:30 a.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion exhibits, 3 p.m.; bucket calf conference judging, 4 p.m.; 4-H bucket calf and beef show, 5 p.m.; and livestock intent to sell deadline, 10 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 29: rabbits judged, 8 a.m.; dairy goats and dairy cattle judged, 9 a.m.; Animals On Parade, 10 a.m.; presentation of building awards, 1 p.m.; Barnyard Olympics with 4-H Ambassadors, 2 p.m.; livestock row of champions set-up, 4 p.m.; livestock row of champions in place, 5 p.m.; fair parade, 6 p.m.; and 4-H talent show and Fashion Revue, 8:30 p.m., followed by karaoke with Daren and Randy.

• Thursday, July 30: pet show, 9 a.m.; livestock judging contest, 10 a.m.; round robin showmanship, 1 p.m.; set-up for livestock sale, 2 p.m.; check out livestock, 2:30 p.m.; 4-H and open class exhibit check-out from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and livestock sale (rabbit meat pens, hogs, sheep, goats and beef), 6 p.m.

• Friday, July 31: clean-up, 9 a.m.

Toby’s Amusements of Arma will return to the fair to provide the midway with games and rides nightly from Monday, July 27 through Saturday, Aug. 1. For more information, call Jackson County’s Meadowlark District Extension office at 364-4125.