‘A full fair’

Pend Oreille County Fair hosting more entries than last year

CUSICK — This year’s Pend Oreille County Fair is going to be a big one.

Running from Thursday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 17, the fair is anticipating about 109 swine, a “huge number” of cattle and more entries in other categories as well, said Glenn Miller, Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo Association chairman. As such, this year’s theme is Barnyard Boogie.

Besides animals, the fair also features games and entertainment like previous years.

Admission to the fair and each rodeo, sold separately, is $10 for adults aged 18 and older, $5 for youth aged 6–17 and free for youth aged 5 and younger.

“It’ll be a full fair,” Miller said.

This year the Pend Oreille County Fairgrounds has a new landscape and water system.

Dozens of volunteers have removed 30 trees, stumps and other foliage from the fairgrounds over the last few weekends leading up to the fair. Additionally, the fairgrounds’ water system was replaced with brand-new lines since the old ones were galvanized and installed by a group of volunteers decades ago.

The fair has also replaced one of its longest-standing entertainers, Professor Bamboozle, with a new act: Misty and the Sandman, who will perform hypnosis, magic and comedy shows three to four times a day. Professor Bamboozle is no longer performing after decades of doing so at the fair, Miller said.

“People saw [Professor Bamboozle] as kids, then saw him again years later with their own kids,” Miller said.

The fair officially opens at noon Thursday, preceded by a flag ceremony and singing of the national anthem at 11:45 a.m.

Following on Friday is the open rodeo’s first performance at 7 p.m., then its second performance at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Shamrock Rodeo Company produced rodeo features bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping, bull riding, tie down roping, junior bull riding, junior barrel racing and mutton busting, or sheep riding. The mutton busting is for youth ages 4-7 who are 60 pounds or lighter. (see rodeo story in sports) Friday and Saturday Dave King is performing live for a family concert and dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight both nights.

There will also be music in the park, with live music by Popeye Rose Social Club from 4–6 p.m. Thursday, Tommy Petrie from 6–8 p.m. Thursday and Double Shot from 5–8 p.m. Friday.

The Jim Mathis Car Show will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Named after the late Jim Mathis, a former president of the fair, the car show attracts participants from as far as Montana and parts of Canada. Eric Mathis, one of Jim Mathis’ sons, anticipates around 60–70 cars at the show, including a few entered in the under-21 category.

“We’re very excited,” Eric Mathis said. He describes the car show as a joint effort between Mathis friends and family, including his younger brother Galen Mathis. “Last year was the 31st year, so we’re continuing the family tradition.”

The livestock and other exhibits are really the heart of the county fair, with dozens of local people of all ages displaying their work. In the case of the livestock, the fair is the culmination of most of a year’s efforts raising the animals.

There will be judging and conformations throughout the weekend, alongside events such as the rooster crowing contest at 9:30 a.m. and cupcake decorating from 3–6 p.m. Friday. Saturday continues with horse western games from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., hand spinning all day in the Fleece and Fiber Building, a crafting table all day in the Hupp Hall Building, more cupcake decorating from 9 a.m. to noon and the market animal sale at 3 p.m. Both days also have costume contests.

Ending the fair on Sunday are more all-day hand spinning, awards and children’s games at 9 a.m. in the livestock arena, inspirational music at 9:30 a.m., a goat obstacle course at 10 a.m., the horse parade of champions at noon in the rodeo arena and a 4-H cookie bake-off and table setting contest at 1:30 p.m.

Miller credits volunteers with much of the effort behind the fair.

Up to 60 volunteers assisted with preparation in the three weekends leading up to the fair, and 50 are volunteering the weekend of. Only one paid employee is involved with the fair, Mathis said.

Volunteers also fundraised for half of the fair, an amount of about $40,000. The other half is funded by the state, Miller said.

“Without that $40,000, the fair would be half the size,” Miller said. “Literally.”