Another fair week will soon get underway in Marion County. The 2019 Marion County Fair and Livestock Show begins Saturday and continues through the following Saturday, Aug. 31 at the fairgrounds in Summit.
This year’s fair is going to last longer and be bigger than last year. This will be the second fair for Sherry McFarland as its manager, and she says the first day will have some new activities.
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The flagpole dedication is scheduled to begin at noon. Saturday’s other activities include the family fun day events beginning at 11, the Miss Marion County Pageant at 2 and the truck pull at 5.
Tuesday will be the first day for the carnival to be open, and that will continue through the following Saturday. Live music will be available Wednesday through Saturday.
Exhibits can be entered in creative arts, horticulture and field crops Tuesday from 3 until 7 and Wednesday morning from 8 until 10.
Wednesday will be the day for livestock to be entered. Registration begins at 11 a.m., and all animals must be checked in and in place by 8 p.m. Weigh-ins will be at a time announced later.
Prepared foods will be released Wednesday evening from 5 until 7. Exceptions will include displayed portions and decorated cakes, cupcakes, cupcake arrangements and best of show exhibits.
Thursday will be school day beginning at 9 a.m. To schedule a class or a group, contact McFarland at 870-449-4332.
Thursday will also be senior citizen’s day co-hosted by Home Instead Senior Care and the Marion County Fair and Livestock Show Board. Events will begin at 11 a.m. and include Bingo, lunch and a new scavenger hunt around the building and fairgrounds.
Also on Thursday, Breadeaux Pizza will sponsor a pizza eating contest at 4 p.m., the livestock shows for sheep, meat goats and swine will start at 5:30, and a Power Wheels derby gets underway at 6.
On Friday, poultry judging in the barn will start at 10 a.m., and rabbit judging will begin 1 1/2 hours later. The dairy and beef cattle starts at 2 p.m., and the cattle barn will close to the public at 1 for exhibitors to prepare for the show. A barbecue livestock jackpot fundraiser dinner will begin at 4 p.m. at $5 per plate, and lawnmower races start at 6:30.
A couple more new events are scheduled for next Saturday. McFarland says one of those events will be the Tiny Tot Livestock Show beginning at 10 a.m. in the main show arena.
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Another new event starting an hour later will be the tractor and compact tractor driving competition. McFarland says this is an event she has never seen before.
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Also on the final day of the fair, the dairy goat show begins at 9 a.m. Registration opens at 10 for the afternoon events. The pig wrestling event will start at 1, the calf dressin’ contest begins at 2:30, and the buyers dinner gets underway at 4. The times for the tug-o-war and sack race will be announced later.
The livestock auction will be one of the final events starting at 5, and all livestock will be released after the sale. The exhibit release of all creative arts and horticultural and field crops will start at 5 and continue until after the auction ends.
Admission to the fair is free, with the exception of the truck pull, lawnmower races, bull buck-off and carnival rides. For more information, go online to marioncountyarfair.org.
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