The 2019 Highland County Fair will be on day shorter than in recent years, but should still offer everything it has in the past, Senior Fair Board President Mark Baldwin said Tuesday.
Rather than running for eight days from Saturday to Saturday like it has the last 10 years or so, according to Baldwin, this year’s fair will run from Sunday to Saturday, Sept. 1-7.
“We’re trying to make it more jam-packed and keep things going on all the time,” Baldwin said of the reason for shortening the fair. “It will give us less dead time during the fair and also helps with the animals.”
He said that in recent years many people brought their animals in on Friday to avoid other schedule conflicts, but now most animals will arrive at the fairgrounds on Saturday.
Admission remains the same — $10 for a daily pass that includes rides, and $30 for a season pass. Kids under 3 years old get in free and there is no fee for parking. An all-day ride ticket for Junior Fair pass holders is $6.
Rides open at 1 p.m. each day.
A year ago the fair officials had major problems with the company contracted to provide the rides, but Baldwin said those problems have been resolved. He said a new ride company, Premier Shows, has been booked.
“There are supposed to be more rides and better rides, but I can’t tell you their names,” Baldwin said.
The main entrance will remain the green gate off Fairground Road and across from the primary parking areas. Baldwin said those walking to the fair can also enter the grounds through the blue gate off John Street, but most of the other gates are designed for those with livestock and/or fair passes.
Baldwin said the fair’s main attractions remain tractor and truck pulls, ATV and motocross races, and the demolition derby. He said autocross returns to the fair for the second year at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and that while most things remain the same, there are a few changes.
The fair queen and king contests, held early the first Saturday afternoon in recent years, have been moved to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Multipurpose Show Arena.
There will also be a talent show that Baldwin said will focus mainly on singing, but is open to anyone. There will be a preliminary round at 7 p.m. Friday with the finals at 6 p.m. Saturday.
“They’re offering some decent money to win it,” Baldwin said. “We like to get the public involved in the fair and we do that as much as we can. The fair is for everybody in the county, so we try to have as much for everybody as we can.”
There will be tractor and/or truck pulls at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday, and 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Some of the other major attractions include a rodeo at 4 p.m. Sunday, motocross races at 11:30 a.m. Monday followed by ATV races at 5 p.m., a demolition derby at 7 p.m. Wednesday, musical entertainment by Patrick Roush at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Lindsay Huggins at 8 p.m. Thursday, and a cheerleading competition at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Livestock sales begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday with the hog sale. The rabbit and chicken sales begin at noon Thursday, and the goat, steer, feeder calf, lamb and dairy sales begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“We’d just like to see people come out and enjoy everything we have to offer,” Baldwin said.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
