After taking a year off, the Baxter County Fair will return later this year with a new date, new rides and air conditioning in its commercial buildings.”New fair, new rides and more fun” is the theme for the 2021 county fair, which will run from Aug. 24-28 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds. This will be the 93rd year for the fair, which had to cancel last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 iteration of the fair returns in late August, which is about three weeks earlier than its traditional date in the first full week of September.
Glenn Priebe, president of the Baxter County Fair Board, explains the reason behind the date change.
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Konnie Coleman, Fair Board secretary, said organizers are aware that the change in dates might prove to be a difficulty for some residents.
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Priebe says that for years people have asked for air conditioning in the fairgrounds’ commercial building, and an influx of federal funds this year has helped turn that into a reality.
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Commercial booth space is still available, Coleman says. Those wishing to rent a space should call 425-6828.
Other changes coming to the 2021 fair include combining the event’s beauty pageant and baby show. The combined show will be held July 31 at Mountain Home High School’s Dunbar Auditorium.
Returning events at the Saddle Club Arena include the truck pull on Saturday, Aug. 21 and the lawn mower races on Saturday, Aug. 28.
The fair parade will roll through downtown Mountain Home on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 25, and the horse show will follow immediately after the parade at the arena.
Tuesday, Aug. 24, will continue to serve as $1 admission night, with just the fair’s carnival and food booths open that night.
The Kattie Laney Project will perform Saturday, Aug. 28. Coleman says that organizers are in the process of booking other musical acts for that week.
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A change in carnivals may mean some changes in carnival tickets, Priebe says.
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The district fair in Harrison was usually the week after the Baxter County fair, Coleman says. Holding the fair in late August this year will give district fair participants a few more weeks to prepare their entries for that contest.
Priebe says it is too soon to say if this year’s earlier starting date is a one-time thing.
“It really depends on the carnival,” Priebe says. “The carnival operates on a circuit, and they may already have dates booked for when we would usually schedule the fair. So it’s a possibility that this will become our normal date.”
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