The Howard County Fair Parade will officially kick off the county fair and livestock show on Monday, starting at 5 p.m. on Main Street.
The youth livestock shows will get started early Tuesday morning and run through Thursday and will be capped by the premium sale at 9:00 Friday morning.
The midway carnival will run Thursday through Saturday with hours 6-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets will be $1 per ticket or 24 tickets for $20 (all rides take 4-5 tickets per ride) with a special armband offered nightly for $30.
This year’s main event will include mutton busting for the kids and bull and bronc riding on Saturday night in the Howard County Fair Arena. Sign-up for the mutton busting starts at 6 p.m. with the competition starting at 7:00. The cost will be $20 per rider with a weight limit of 60 pounds.
The bull and bronc event will begin at 8:00.
Tickets for Saturday night will be $10 per person with kids 5 and under admitted for free.
Live entertainment is scheduled nightly throughout the fair at 6:00 on the Fair Stage.
Other events lined up include:
Hay Bale Decorating Contest (sign-up by Aug. 21 at 870-200-3118). Hay bales will be in place Tuesday and need to be decorated by Wednesday night at 8:00. The judging will take place Thursday.
Old Timers Showmanship Fundraiser benefitting the Bill Bean Howard County Fair Association Scholarship Fund will be held Thursday at 7:00. “Old Timers” can be nominated to show in either a cattle, hog, sheep or goat showmanship for $5. The nominees can then pay $20 to remove their name from the line up but can be nominated again for only $5.
Best Decorated Livestock Exhibits will judged on creativity, attractiveness and cleanliness. Stalls must be decorated by Tuesday. One winner will be selected from each species division.
