Leavenworth County Fair kicks off

Tonganoxie ? After months of hard work, 4-H and FFA members put all their efforts on the line this week at the 77th annual Leavenworth County Fair.

Activities at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds begin in earnest today with a horse show at 9 a.m. and judging in woodworking, stitching and other exhibit categories. The fair events will conclude Saturday and officially end with the release of exhibits Sunday.

About 400 4-H and FFA youths will display nearly 4,500 exhibits, said Beth Hecht, county extension agent for 4-H Youth Development. That doesn’t include open class exhibits.

“It’s hectic, but the parents and kids really get excited about it,” Hecht said of the fair. “By the end of the week everyone will be exhausted, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Unlike last year’s fair and despite dry conditions now, the city of Tonganoxie has not instituted water restrictions.

“We all hope it rains every day,” Hecht said with a laugh. “We don’t care.”

In addition to the judging, highlights during fair week include a parade at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through downtown Tonganoxie. This year’s parade theme is “Stars and Stripes — American Patriotism.”

Thursday and Friday nights will feature a rodeo starting at 8 p.m. Prices of admission are $8 for adults and $4 for children 6 to 12 years old. Children under 6 get in free.

More than 60 cars are expected to participate in Saturday night’s demolition derby. It starts at 7 p.m. in the rodeo arena. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 12 years old.

9 a.m.: 4-H/FFA horse show in the horse arena.9 a.m.: Judging in 4-H woodworking and skill arts, in the green metal building, west side.10 a.m.: Judging in stitching, quilting and stenciling, leather, carving and fabrics and fibers, in the green metal building.5 p.m.: 4-H/FFA/open class swine and sheep entries weigh in at the livestock barn.

The evenings also bring concerts — Wednesday night features Stranger Creek, Thursday night brings Legends of the Opry, and Loose Gravel performs Friday night. All concerts start at 8 p.m. under the big top tent.

Carnival rides will open about 6 p.m. Tuesday and continue through Saturday.

One new activity will be a hay bale decorating contest.

“The (Kansas) State Fair has that, and we decided to do it,” said David Todd, president of the fair board committee. “We only have three entries, but, hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.”

There is no admission to the fair, but parking costs $1.

The fair annually draws from 20,000 to 25,000 people during the week, Todd said.