County fair schedule set
Before you know it, it’ll be Jackson County Fair time again.
Preparations are under way for the 98th-annual Jackson County Fair, which will take place at the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex from Monday, July 17 through Thursday, July 20, with a wide variety of 4-H and open class exhibits, a carnival, a rodeo, the fair parade and a Wednesday night concert.
The main focus of the fair remains Jackson County’s 4-H program, in which young people in 4-H clubs across the county show their best livestock, food projects and other crafts. 4-H members are required to enter their exhibits online at fairentry.com by Saturday, July 1.
Open class exhibitors — whether they have graduated from the 4-H programs or would just like to enter their best foods, crafts or animals regardless of club affiliation — may also register online at Jackson-KS.fairentry.com
Physical copies of the fair book are currently in production, it was reported. In the meantime, the fair book may be viewed online at www.meadowlark.k-state.edu/4-h/holton.html
Apart from the dog show on Sunday, June 25, the 13th-annual Jackson County Fair Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, July 7 and 8, and the horse show on Saturday, July 15, the bulk of fair activities will take place between Monday, July 17 and Thursday, July 20, following the fair’s “traditional schedule.”
Great Plains Amusement of Rush Springs, Okla., will be bringing its carnival rides and games to the fair for a fourth year, it was reported. The carnival will be open after 5 p.m. starting Tuesday, July 18 and running nightly through Saturday, July 22.
The schedule for this year’s fair, subject to change, is listed below, with all activities taking place at the Heritage Complex unless otherwise indicated.
* Sunday, June 25: dog show, 10 a.m.
* Saturday, July 1: 4-H and FFA pre-entries due online.
* Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8: Jackson County Fair Rodeo, starting at 8 p.m. each evening.
* Friday, July 7: pre-judging of geology, entomology, forestry and wildlife, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Horton Blue Building.
* Tuesday, July 11: pre-fair judging, 9 a.m. at Holton Elementary School; bucket calf conference judging, 9 a.m.
* Wednesday, July 12: pre-registration for open class quilts, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
* Friday, July 14: open class quilt judging, 10 a.m.
* Saturday, July 15: horse show, 8 a.m.; fair setup with all clubs represented, 9 a.m.; clothing buymanship display setup, noon to 4 p.m.
* Sunday, July 16: hay bale decoration, all day; clothing buymanship display setup, noon to 5 p.m.; 4-H woodworking and visual arts check-in, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 4-H pre-fair judged exhibit check-in, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; livestock unloading, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; meat goat and sheep weigh-in and check-in, 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; meat goat and sheep meeting in barn, 6 p.m.; hay bale display judging, 6 p.m.; open class exhibit check-in, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; all rabbits and poultry check-in, 7 p.m.; beef meeting in barn, 7 p.m.; beef weigh-in, scanning and check-in, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
* Monday, July 17: swine meeting in barn, 7:50 a.m.; swine weigh-in, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; 4-H exhibits check-in for non-pre-fair exhibits, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; open class exhibit check-in, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 4-H foods judging begins, 8:30 a.m.; rabbit show, 9 a.m.; 4-H foods sale begins, 9:30 a.m.; open class exhibits judging begins, noon; 4-H building exhibits judging begins, 1 p.m.; 4-H pre-fair judged exhibit check-in, 1:30 p.m.; poultry show, 2 p.m.; Holton Recorder photos of foods champions, 3:30 p.m.; kiddie tractor pull registration, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.; sheep and meat goat show, 6 p.m. with meat goat show starting 15 minutes after the sheep show; 4-H food auction, 6 p.m.; Farm Bureau kiddie tractor pull, 7 p.m.
* Tuesday, July 18: swine show, 8:30 a.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion exhibits, 3 p.m.; beef show, 5 p.m.; livestock intent to sell deadline, 30 minutes after conclusion of beef show.
* Wednesday, July 19: dairy goat and dairy cattle show, 8 a.m.; bucket calf show, 10 a.m.; Animals On Parade, 11 a.m.; pet show, 4-H and open class, 11:30 a.m.; Barnyard Olympics with Ambassadors, 2 p.m.; Livestock Row of Champions, 5 p.m.; parade, 6 p.m. on Holton’s Town Square; 4-H style revue, 8 p.m.; concert, 8:30 p.m.
* Thursday, July 20: livestock judging contest, 9 a.m.; round robin showmanship, 12:30 p.m.; livestock sale setup, 2 p.m.; livestock check-out, 2:30 p.m.; building awards presentation, 5 p.m.; livestock sale of rabbits, poultry, meat goats, sheep, beef and swine, 6 p.m.; 4-H and open class exhibit check-out, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
* Friday, July 21: fair clean-up with all clubs, 8 a.m.; pick up exhibits not picked up on Thursday.
For more information, contact the Meadowlark Extension District office in Holton at (785) 364-4125.
