The 2017 Highland County Fair kicks off Saturday, Sept. 2 and while most things are status quo, there is a new attraction or two.
One new feature is what Highland County Fair Board President Charles Davidson called “Dinosoar.” He said it’s a free one-hour attraction with dinosaur items on display, an oral presentation and a sand area where kids can dig for fossils. Shows start Sunday, Sept. 3 and are at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily through the end of the fair on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Admission is as it has been in recent years. General admission is $10 per person daily and includes rides. Admission is free for children under 3 years old, but there is a $7 fee if they want to ride rides. Season, exhibitor and Highland County Agricultural Society passes are all $25. Davidson said the society passes allow a holder to vote on some society matters. Those with passes that want to ride will be required to pay $7 per day, except for 4-H members. Their fee is $6 per day with a pass.
On Monday, Sept. 4, admission is free for senior citizens and veterans.
Rides open at noon each day.
Davidson said the fair board used to have one day where people were admitted free early in the early part of the day, but that day has been eliminated.
“We tried that for a while, but people thought they got free food and stuff, too, and it got to be too much of a hassle,” Davidson said.
Back for the second year is KOI drag racing. Davidson said it’s for, “Whatever you want to drag race.” It starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday and races are held on a 300-foot track in the tractor pull area.
The demolition derby is Tuesday and starts at 8 p.m.
There are tractor pulls Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9 starting around 6:30 p.m.; and an antique tractor pull at 10 a.m. and a four-wheel drive truck pull at 7 p.m., both on Sunday.
Motocross races start at 6 p.m. Saturday and four-wheel ATV races start at 4 p.m. Monday. There is a rodeo at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The featured entertainment includes Patrick Roush at 7 p.m. Thursday, the Scott Brown Band at 8 p.m. Thursday and Terry Lee & The Rockaboogie Band at 8 p.m. Friday. According to the fair board, Roush is a country singer who represents the sixth generation of his family’s farm near Lynchburg; Brown has been a timed rodeo cowboy for more than 25 years whose music was shaped by the Eagles, Steven Curtis Chapman and Vince Gill; and The Rockaboogie Band is a high-energy group built around lightning fast piano pumping.
Parking is free. The primary parking area is across Fair Road from the fairgrounds. Shuttles will transport people from their vehicles to the main entry gate along Fair Road. There are other entry gates, but Davidson said the gate along Fair Road is the one the fair board would prefer people driving to the fair to use.
Inside the fairgrounds, the fair board provides carts driven by the Masons to transport people who are handicapped where they need to go.
“Just come on out and enjoy the fair and see your neighbors,” Davidson said. “They’re talking about cool weather, so that could be good.”
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
