MC Fair set for July 13-17

An exotic animal petting zoo. A professional rodeo demonstration team specializing in “mutton bustin’.” A special senior citizen king and queen. These are just some of the new spices added this year to the usual crowd-pleasing recipe that is the annual Madison County Fair.

The 2010 fair, whose theme is “Carnival Lights and Country Nights,” is set to run this Tuesday-Saturday, July 13-17, at 1125 Fairground Road (the Young Farmers site behind Madison County High School).

This year’s event has changed some of its traditional programs in an effort to provide more hands-on entertainment for children in the county, said Madison County Fair Board Vice President Essie Berry.

“We’ve been trying to fill Saturday up a lot more with children-friendly things,” Berry said in an interview last week. “We’re trying to be very family-oriented for the youth of Madison and the surrounding counties (this year).”

Some of these new programs include “mutton bustin’” for young visitors, Fair Board Treasurer Terri Tatum said in an interview last week.

The 8 p.m. Monday event grants children a taste of a bull-riding-like experience as they get test how long they can hold on bareback to a bucking and sprinting sheep. The contest is being organized by Greg McDonald of Carney Man Productions, one of the new performers at this year’s fair.

Along with the sheep riding and a potato-decorating contest at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, this year’s fair will also feature the Bar C petting zoo of exotic animals.
The zoo includes animals like camels, sugar gliders, and an Argentinean black-and-white tegu, Berry said. A sugar glider looks a bit like a small, exotic squirrel, but it’s actually a marsupial, a cousin of the kangaroo and hails from Australia and Indonesia. The tegu is a medium-sized (two-four feet long), rain forest dwelling lizard.

In addition to children’s events, there will be a senior citizen king and queen of the fair. Their names will be announced on July 12 and they will grace one of the floats in the 6:30 p.m. Madison Firemen’s Parade on Main Street, Berry said.

There are magic shows at 7 p.m. Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday and a number of musical performers. Though there are some area favorites in the line-up it also includes new faces like country musician Austin Boggs, who will perform at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

“I heard him perform at a benefit dinner,” fair volunteer Jennifer Weakley said. “We had tossed around the idea of having him since he was a local person originally – he’s a very good country singer. I think he has a local following, (so we are) hoping for a lot of people to come and see him.”

For those who didn’t get to see them last year, the “souped-up” racing lawnmowers have returned. Their event was hampered by rain last year, Berry said. They are set for 6 p.m. Friday night and there will be updates on the fair Web site incase of rain. And for the not easily disgusted, there is a chocolate pie-eating contest 6 p.m. Wednesday between area radio announcers JD Slade of WJMA and Madison’s Pam Garrison of WCYK.

The fairground opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and at 8 a.m. Saturday and admission is $5 for people age 11 and older Tuesday-Thursday. Friday’s admission fee is a donation to the Madison County Volunteer Fire Company and the Madison County Rescue Squad and Saturday admission is $10. An armband for the entire week is $15.

For information, visit http://www.madisoncountyfairva.com/.

The following is this year’s fair schedule.

Tuesday, July 13:
• 4 p.m. – Gates open.
• 4 p.m. – Petting zoo – between gates A and B.
• 6 p.m. – Dairy show.
• 6 p.m. – Carnival opens.
• 6:30 p.m. – Madison Firemen’s Parade – Main Street.
• 7 p.m. – Horseshoe pitching – near gate C.
• 7 p.m. – Paul Fincham and the Dark Hollow bluegrass band – entertainment tent.
• 8 p.m. – Wes Iseli Magic Show – small stage.
• 8 p.m. – Horse events and mutton bustin’ – track.
• 9 p.m. – Parade awards.
• 9:45 p.m. – Strong Man / Woman contest – track.

Wednesday, July 14:
• 9 a.m. – Livestock weigh-in.
• 4 p.m. – fairground open.
• 4 p.m. – Petting zoo – between gates A and B.
• 5 p.m. – Peach pie and potato dressing contest – picnic shelter.
• 6 p.m. – Pie eating contest between DJ Slade and Pam Garrison – big tent.
• 6 p.m. – Carnival opens.
• 7 p.m. – Fair beauty pageant – small stage.
• 7 p.m. – Horseshoes pitching (doubles) – near gate C.
• 7 p.m. – The Deanes – entertainment tent.
• 7:30 p.m. – Swine show.
• 8 p.m. – Buckeye donkey races – track.
• 9:45 p.m. – Haybale toss – track.

Thursday, July 15:
• 3 p.m. – Sheep show.
• 3 p.m. – Goat show.
• 4 p.m. – Fairground open.
• 4 p.m. – Petting zoo – between gates A and B.
• 6 p.m. – Pet show – picnic shelter.
• 6 p.m. – Carnival opens.
• 6 p.m. – Dairy/beef show.
• 7 p.m. – Petal Tractor Pull and Tiny Farmer contest – track.
• 7 p.m. – Courtney Hollow band – entertainment tent.
• 8 p.m. – ATV obstacle course challenge – track.

Friday, July 16:
• 10 a.m. – Tractor-driving contest – lower field.
• 4 p.m. – Fairground open.
• 4 p.m. – Petting zoo – between gates A and B.
• 6 p.m. – Carnival opens.
• 6 p.m. – Lawn tractor pullers – track.
• 7 p.m. – 4-H livestock sale.
• 7 p.m. – Tommy Wood – entertainment tent.

Saturday, July 17:
• 8 a.m. – Fairgrounds open.
• 8 a.m. – Horse show – horse ring.
• 8 a.m. – Petting zoo – between gates A and B.
• 9 a.m. – Llama show.
• Noon – Bucket babies show – barn show ring.
• 1:30 p.m. – Youth Olympics – picnic shelter.
• 3 p.m. – Wolftown Mercantile pizza-eating contest – picnic shelter.
• 3 p.m. – Austin Boggs – entertainment tent.
• 3:30 p.m. – High Horse Cloggers – picnic shelter.
• 4 p.m. – ID A Kid – Madison County Sheriff’s Office – vendor tent.
• 4 p.m. – Derby Car inspection – scale area.
• 4 p.m. – Wildlife show – small stage.
• 4 p.m. – Carnival opens.
• 4:30 p.m. – Watermelon-eating contest – picnic shelter.
• 5:30 p.m. – Wes Iseli Magic Show – small stage.
• 6:30 p.m. – Stick horse races – front of office.
• 7 p.m. – Demolition Derby – track.