Jackson County Fair Schedule Set

The sound of horses’ hooves beating the ground en masse at the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex will be heard this weekend to remind Jackson County residents that the county fair is on its way.

The main week of the 91st-annual Jackson County Fair runs from Monday, July 25, through Friday, July 29, but the horse show — the first major event of the fair after this past Saturday’s dog show — will be held this Saturday at the Heritage Complex, it was reported. The Heritage Complex is located half a mile west of U.S. Highway 75 on 214th Road.

Meadowlark Extension District 4-H program manager Cara Robinson said that about 30 youngsters from the county’s 4-H clubs have signed up to participate in Saturday’s horse show, which will begin at 8 a.m. Competitors will begin checking in for the show at 7:30 a.m. for a full day of riding and racing events.

It’s the second year for the fair at the Heritage Complex, where land and building improvements are continuing, but as always, the fair parade will be held in downtown Holton, starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 27. Grand marshals for the parade have yet to be announced.

Also, unlike the days when the fairgrounds were located at the corner of U.S. 75 and Kansas Highway 16 in Holton, calling the Extension office will not ring out to the Heritage Complex, Robinson said. The Extension office, located on the north side of Holton’s Town Square, will remain open during fair week, and people can call the office to relay messages out to the Heritage Complex, she added.

Upcoming fair events include:

* Tuesday, July 19: Pre-fair judging and consumer judging contest.

* Wednesday and Thursday, July 20 and 21: Pre-register open class quilts at JM Sewing Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Friday, July 22: Open class quilt judging, 10 a.m. at JM Sewing Center.

* Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23: Kraft Rodeo, starting at 8 p.m. both days.

* Sunday, July 24: Decoration of hay bales; woodworking check-in, noon to 3 p.m.; clothing buymanship display set-up, noon to 5 p.m.; arts and crafts check-in, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; hay bale judging, 6 p.m.; open class exhibit check-in, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; goat weigh-in and check-in from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; sheep weigh-in and check-in from 7:15 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and swine unloading from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

All swine need to be in place by 8 a.m. Monday, July 25. All beef exhibits need to be in place by 1 p.m. that same day.

* Monday, July 25: 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, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 4-H foods judging, 8:30 a.m.; food sale, 9:30 a.m.; rabbits and poultry in place by 10 a.m.; judging of open class exhibits at noon; check-in for 4-H exhibits judged prior to the fair, 1:30 p.m.; 4-H poultry judging at 2 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 26: 4-H hog show, 8:30 a.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion exhibits, 3 p.m.; bucket calf conference judging, 4:30 p.m.; 4-H bucket calf and beef show, 5 p.m.; and livestock intent to sell deadline, 10 p.m.

* Wednesday, July 27: rabbits judged, 8 a.m.; dairy goats and dairy cattle judged, 9 a.m.; Animals On Parade, 10 a.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 Style Revue, 8:30 p.m., followed by karaoke with Daren and Randy.

* Thursday, July 28: pet show, 9 a.m.; livestock judging contest, 10 a.m.; adult round robin showmanship, noon; 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 (poultry and rabbit meat pens, hogs, sheep, goats and beef), 6 p.m.

* Friday, July 29: 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 through Saturday, July 25-30. For more information, call Jackson County’s Meadowlark District Extension office at 364-4125.