JOIN The FUN AT THE Allamakee County Fair THIS WEEK

Platinum country music group Lonestar to headline grandstand musical entertainment with Jared Blake this Friday

This week, July 20-24,  the 163rd Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment is in place to headline this year’s fair at the grandstand, along with a great deal of other activities for everyone to enjoy each and every day throughout the five-day event.

GRANDSTAND TO FEATURE STAR POWER AND HORSE POWER

Kicking off this year’s grandstand entertainment line-up Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. will be a Truck and Tractor Pull featuring local trucks and tractors as well as some powered-up regional competitors in a variety of high-revving classes.

Supercross Racing will fly through the grandstand area Thursday, July 21 as Motokazie brings its dirt bike and ATV racing series back to the Allamakee County Fair, beginning at 7 p.m. Series racers will compete for cash and season awards while braving jumps, turns and other thrills on two- or four-wheeled machines.

Some longtime popularity will be sharing the grandstand musical spotlight with a relative newcomer Friday evening, July 22, beginning at 7 p.m., as multi-decade favorite Lonestar will be headlining that Friday show after an opening performance by Jared Blake. A contestant on the popular television music show "The Voice" in 2011, Blake turned his experience from that show into a budding songwriting and performing career, landing his first big break as a songwriter for music industry giant Sony/ATV.

Blake brings his deep vocals and emotional delivery to every performance, and he has the same passion for his fans that he has for his music. Some may also remember Blake for a pair of local speaking engagements at area schools and his fundraising efforts for Allamakee Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) with a performance in Prairie du Chien, WI.

Lonestar has recorded three multi-platinum albums and charted nine number-one songs, such as "No News", "Come Cryin' to Me", "I'm Already There", "Mr. Mom" and "Amazed", which also charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first country song to do so since "Islands in the Stream" in 1983. Lonestar has sold in excess of ten million albums since their national launch in 1995 and the group is celebrating its twenty-year anniversary during its current North American tour with original lead singer Richie McDonald returning to the group after a try at his own solo career. The group is starting its third decade of making music together by touring in support of its new hit album "Never Enders".

Raw, animal power will hit the grandstand Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. as Rice Bull Riding Co. will feature National Federation of Professional Bullriders-sanctioned competitors battling it out for cash prizes and awards. Waukon native Dylan Schmitt, a 2010 graduate of Waukon High School and the son of Dan and Brenda Schmitt of Waukon, will be one of the featured bullfighters working to keep those riders safe and entertain the crowd.

The culminating grandstand event Sunday afternoon, July 24 will feature even more action, as area drivers will race their trucks to the limit on a Tough Truck obstacle course filled with mud, jumps, hills and thrills, beginning at 1 p.m.

GRANDSTAND PASSES ONLINE

The ability to purchase grandstand tickets online is available for this season's grandstand performances as well. The fair's webpage, www.allamakeecountyfair.org, has a "Buy Tickets Now" button link (pictured at right below) that will take online purchasers through a check-out process. Tickets for the grandstand events can be purchased for all five evenings of grandstand entertainment at this year's fair, or for just a single event. Those tickets can then be picked up at the "will call" window at the grandstand entrance.

Advance tickets for grandstand events can also be purchased in Waukon at the Allamakee County ISU Extension office, Waukon State Bank, Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, Kerndt Brothers Bank, Village Farm & Home and Clark Tire Pros.

QUEEN PAGEANT KICKS IT OFF

The Allamakee County Fair Queen Pageant will kick off this year's fair Tuesday evening, July 19, beginning at 7 p.m., and will take place in the Fairgrounds Pavilion. The overall event will begin with presentations by local high school FFA chapter members and 4-H Expressions Day winners advancing on to the Iowa State Fair.

This year's seven Fair Queen candidates - Lizzie Blake, Erika Johnson, MaKayla Manning, Kaylonna McKee, Miranda Reinhardt, Leah Riese and Bethany Stock - will then take the spotlight to determine who will wear the crown of the 2016 Allamakee County Fair Queen.

FREE DAILY ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the grandstand attractions, there will also be a wide variety of free entertainment performances and activities throughout this year’s fair.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 21-24 will feature face painting and Nick's Kids Show in front of the Fairgrounds Pavilion at various times. Breakfast at the Fair will also be served each of those three days in the Appreciation Building by area non-profit groups from 7-9:30 a.m. An "Artist Corner" in the Open Exhibit building will feature local works of art from 1-4 p.m. both Thursday and Friday, July 21-22. Balloon art and caricatures will be available to enjoy in the Free Tent from 1-5 p.m. those two days, with caricatures also available Saturday from 1-5 p.m. at that same Free Tent location.

New this year, Robey Memorial Library will be offering a "Story Walk" that will allow children and families to read a story by walking from page to page as they stroll the fairgrounds. That event starts at the Fairgrounds Pavilion and will be available from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, from 1-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and again Sunday, July 24 from 12-4 p.m.
Thursday, July 21 will offer a pair of gardening programs in the Open Exhibit Building. "Build Your Own Garden Art" will take place from 2-6 p.m. and Judy Egeland will be available from 2-5 p.m. for a Gardening Question and Answer session. The Ag Olympics, a timed obstacle relay race using various items found on the farm and open to youth and area business "celebrities", takes place in the Show Barn Thursday evening at 5 p.m.

Friday, July 22 will feature Kid's Day activities, such as Lego and Art Contests, a Blender Bike and much more, free of charge behind the Fair Office in the Appreciation Building from 12-4 p.m. The Iowa State University Insect Zoo and Cockroach Races will be on hand from 1-3 p.m. and Robey Memorial Library will be sponsoring its "On Your Mark, Get Set... Read!" program from 12-4 p.m. as well. A Children's Cookie Decorating Contest will take place at 1 p.m. in the Open Exhibit Building, and a Kids Pedal Tractor Race begins with a 3:30 p.m. registration in front of the Pavilion. A Flower Arranging presentation will also take place from 3-4 p.m. Friday afternoon in the Open Exhibit Building.

Saturday, July 23 will involve some new activities, as well as some traditional favorites at the Open Exhibit Building. Kids Craft Activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, and a presentation on "How to Braid Woven Rugs" will take place from 1-4 p.m. New this year will be a Monster Arm Wrestling Tournament at the Beer Tent by the grandstand for both men and women competitors, with weigh-in from 2-3 p.m. and competition starting at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Sunday, July 24, a Baby Quilt Trunk Show will be presented by local quilters Pat Meeter and Mary Kay Winke from 1-2 p.m. and a presentation on "How to Make a Burlap Wreath" will follow from 2-3 p.m. Both of those presentations will take place in the Open Exhibit Building.

AMUSEMENT MIDWAY

The midway at the Allamakee County Fair will be new this year, as Amusement Associates will offer thrills and challenges for entertainment at this year’s fair beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and again at noon Sunday. Wednesday, July 20 will feature a "10 Tickets for $10" promotion from 6-10 p.m. The 6-10 p.m. timeframe Thursday, July 21 and Saturday, July 23, as well as from 12-4 p.m. Sunday, July 24, will feature the wristband promotion for the midway rides.

PROJECTS AND LIVESTOCK SHOWS

Along with the fun and thrills of this year’s entertainment line-up, the hard work and dedication of county youth and other exhibitors will be on display each and every day of the 2016 Allamakee County Fair. The 4-H and Open Exhibit buildings on the grounds will house the efforts of local exhibitors of all ages in a wide variety of creative, useful interests, with 4-H exhibit judging taking place Tuesday, July 19, beginning at 9 a.m. and livestock entry taking place Wednesday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Open Class exhibit entry will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 and again from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 20.

Daily livestock shows begin Thursday, July 21 with the Swine and Sheep Judging. Friday, July 22 will feature the Beef and Rabbit Judgings, with Poultry Judging returning to the fair this year and following the Rabbit Judging. Dairy cattle and goats will be judged Saturday morning, July 23, with a Dog Show that afternoon. Sunday morning, July 24 will wrap up the livestock shows with the Horse Judging.

The traditional appreciation supper and 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction will take place Sunday afternoon in the Show Barn. The supper begins at 4 p.m., with the auction getting underway at 5 p.m.

Further event details and even more schedule and other information about the 2016 Allamakee County Fair can be found in the special publication posted on the home page of The Standard website, www.waukonstandard.com and inserted in last week's (July 13) issue of The Standard or online at www.allamakeecountyfair.org.