CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY FAIR

The Chautauqua County Fair is set for the week of July 22-25 and a full slate of activities are planned, according to Debbie Wall, fair board president. “Winning Tradition” is this year’s theme.

The exhibit building will be open for viewing every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the public is encouraged to drop by any time. The 4-H style show and clothing construction will kick off fair activities on Tuesday, July 14, at 9 a.m. in the Cedar Vale Baptist Church. The horse show is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, July 20, at the Sedan rodeo arena.

Activity will pick considerably on Wednesday, July 22, as livestock are weighed in and judging of exhibits takes place in the 4-H Building. The gospel music group, “Otis,” will perform at 5 p.m. Wednesday right before the free barbecue and bean feed is served (bring your own table service). “Otis” is a gospel singing group from Arkansas City. The food sale midway and 4-H style review will be held late that afternoon and the 4-H style review will be held at 6 p.m. The hay scramble will be held at 6:45 p.m., and “Master’s Voice” will perform at 7:30 p.m. “Master’s Voice” are full-time Christian recording artists from Bristow, Okla.  Their unique blend of harmonies, comedy, and ministry contribute to a dynamic presence on stage.

On Thursday, July 23, the swine show will be held at 8 a.m. then the livestock judging contest will be held in the arena. The bucket calf and beef show is scheduled for 5 p.m. and a pedal tractor pull will be staged along the midway. The “Inflat-O-Fun” will be set up on the midway instead of a carnival this year from 5 to 10 p.m. each night. Photograph judging will take place at 6 p.m. An open-mic talent festival is set for 7 p.m., and hypnotist Ray Thompson will perform. Thompson’s background in theater, teaching, sales training, counseling, and magic is used to provide you with a show to remember.  Guests on stage enjoy the hypnotic experience and want to be hypnotized again.  Ray has been a stage hypnotist in Las Vegas as well as nine other states including Kansas. Thursday night will be free movie night in the pavillion.

On Friday, July 24, the sheep and goat show will be held at 8 a.m. in the arena then cut flowers will be judged and a kids’ barnyard olympics event will be held in the arena. “Inflat-O-Fun” will again be set up from 5 to 10 p.m. The hypnotist will be working the midway again. A professional rodeo will be held in the Lou Todd Memorial Rodeo Arena starting at 8 p.m. Friday night.

On Saturday, July 25, Little Mr. and Miss Chautauqua County Fair will be crowned and the antique and classic car show will be held on the courthouse lawn. The juvenile parade at 10 a.m. will be followed by the official grand parade. Ruth Call and Mildred Freeman will be parade marshals.
A watermelon feed will follow the parade on the courthouse lawn. There will be celebrity barnyard olympcis in the arena on Saturday afternoon as well as a horseshoe pitching contest. There will be weenee dog races on the courthouse lawn and free swimming at the city pool. At 5 p.m. the livestock premium sale will be held in the arena. The “Inflat-O-Fun” will again be set up along the midway and bingo will be featured along the midway. The usual vendors also will be set up all three days.

The final performance of the rodeo will start at 8 p.m. Saturday night and a free dance will follow.
Chautauqua County 4-H Fairbooks are available at Floyd’s, First National Bank, Bank of Sedan and Bank of Cedar Vale, Short Stop and the Chautauqua County Extension Office. More details will be announced in next week’s Prairie Star.

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HOWARD ELK COUNTY FAIR

The 63rd Annual Howard Elk County Fair and Elk County 4-H Fair will be held this year on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, July 18-20, at the Howard Fairgrounds.

4-H members will begin their activities with the horse show on Monday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Several open events will also take place on Wednesday, July 15 with clothing construction and fiber arts judging at 9 a.m., followed by the fashion revue judging at 10 a.m., both at West Elk High School.  The 4-H picnic will be held at 7 p.m. that evening with the public fashion revue following at 8 p.m. at WEHS.

4-H foods judging will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17.  That evening market animals will be weighed in from 6-8 p.m. Rodeo fans will be in for a special treat as the Williams and Long Rodeo Company will produce a rodeo with outstanding livestock and colorful pageantry.  The rodeo will take place nightly at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18.  Admission is free for children under 5, ages 6-10 are $4, and 11 and older are $7.  The rodeo is sponsored by the Howard Elk County Fair Association.

On Saturday, July 18, 4-H indoor exhibits, bucket calf, rabbit, and poultry exhibits will be accepted from 8-10 a.m.  The annual fair parade will be held downtown at 11 a.m., sponsored by the Howard Chamber of Commerce. A turtle race will follow the parade at the fairgrounds at 11:45 a.m., sponsored by Lanning Auto Supply.

Family fun and games will take place at the grandstand at 1 p.m. with added money in memory of Kenny and Pauline Smith.  4-H sheep and goat fitting, showing, and judging is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. A free watermelon feed, sponsored by Southern Kansas Insurance Agency and Dave’s Enterprises-Dave Helsel, will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.  Immediately following at 8 p.m. the Williams and Long Rodeo will take place as well as the adult round robin contest at 8:30 p.m.

On Sunday, July 19 a community church service will be held at 9 a.m. at the grandstand.  The public is encouraged to attend this special service. The Howard United Methodist Church will join fairgoers at the Elk County Fair for this service and it will be followed by a carry-in brunch at the Howard UMC Fellowship Hall at 10:30 a.m.  Bring some breakfast food to share and join them for brunch. The Howard UMC will provide coffee, juice and milk.

At 12:30 p.m. the 4-H beef and bucket calves fitting, showing, and judging will take place followed by the judging of rabbits and poultry at 3 p.m. From 3 to 6 p.m., the P.T.O. and Jaws of Life will have a demonstration at the grandstand.  An ice cream social will also be held during that time, sponsored by the Elk County Farm Bureau.  At 6 p.m. the Elk County Community Choir will perform at the grandstand. At 6:30 p.m. the 4-H swine fitting, showing, and judging will be held.

At 7 p.m. that evening, David Oakleaf will provide musical entertainment.  Oakleaf is a singer/songwriter based in Nashville.  He is the son of Sam and Becky Oakleaf of Howard and was raised in Elk County.  During the intermission of that performance a food auction will be held to benefit the Howard Elk County Fair Association.

On Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m. the round robin will be held.  All 4-H entries (except sale animals) will need to check out between 1-2 p.m.  The annual free barbecue will be held that Monday evening at 6 p.m. with the 4-H trophy presentation ceremony following at 6:30 p.m. at the show arena.
Fair festivities will culminate with the 4-H/FFA Annual Livestock Premium Sale at 7 p.m.

The Howard Elk County Fair Association board members are Christy Tyler, president; J.B. Cannon, vice-president; Debbie Stange, secretary; David Griesel, treasurer; and members Gene Walter, Ruth Watts, Mark Beitz, Patrick Perkins, Patty Wiseman, Amy Stange, Tom Watts, and Don Perkins.

For more information, schedule, and 4-H entry information, go to www.rollingprairie.ksu.edu, then to 4-H and Youth, then Elk County 4-H Program.

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LONGTON FREE FAIR

The Elk County Free Fair in Longton is set for Friday, July 31 and Saturday, Aug. 1.  The fair books should be available by the middle of July.

Open class exhibits will be checked in between 8-10 a.m. on Friday with judging at 10 a.m. There will be kids’ races and turtle races on Friday afternoon.  That evening the free barbecue will be held at 6 p.m., followed by a food auction and shodeo.

Saturday morning the annual parade will be held at 10:30 a.m., followed by more kids’ races in the afternoon.  There will also be an ATV shodeo and garden tractor pull that afternoon.  A watermelon feed will take place at 6 p.m. that evening as well.

This year’s Elk County Free Fair will feature a new rodeo format, the ranch rodeo.  In a ranch rodeo, teams of contestants work together to perform simulated ranching chores.  The Free Fair Ranch Rodeo will feature doctoring, branding, sorting, and double-mugging (also called stray-gathering).

The ranch rodeo will be held on Saturday, Aug. 1 at the rodeo arena in Longton, beginning at 8 p.m.
Teams comprised of area cowboys are being sought.  Participants must reside or work in Elk County, or any of the six counties that border Elk County.  To enter a team or for more information, please contact Shari Kaminska at 620-642-6303.

Bingo games will be held each evening at the fairgrounds.  The senior class at Elk Valley High School will have the Fair Barn Cafe in the new air-conditioned kitchen.  The pop stand will be open for cold drinks and there will be a concession stand available at the shodeo and ranch rodeo.