Your county fairs are here

NEWPORT – It’s fair week in the Pend Oreille River Valley with the Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 20-23 in Cusick and the Bonner County Fair and Rodeo Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 18-22 in Sandpoint. From beef, baked goods, fine arts, hamsters, beer, and almost everything in between, there are hundreds of exhibits from community members showcasing their skills. Don’t forget food, craft and other vendors that will fill both fairgrounds for the rest of the week.

Starting with the Pend Oreille County Fair, this year’s theme is Country Pride, County Wide with colors of red-white and blue. The Market Animal Live Auction where people have a chance to purchase livestock and support youth is Saturday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. The open rodeo is Friday- Saturday, Aug. 21-22 at 7 p.m. There will also be mutton bustin’, a car show on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and music and dancing. Local high school chapters of Future Farmers of AMERICA (FFA), including Cusick, Newport and Riverside will be selling brisket, pulled pork, beans, coleslaw and sweet corn. All monies made from the barbecue go back to support FFA programs. Food is available at noon and goes while supplies last.

Drop by the Pend Oreille County Public Works booth for Conversations with a Commissioner where county commissioners will be on hand for people to ask questions and learn what’s happening around the county. Robert Rosencrantz will be at the booth Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by John Gentle from 5-9 p.m. Gentle returns on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fair hours are Thursday, noon to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fair and rodeo admission is sold separately. All ticket sales are cash only. Cost for adults is $10, youth ages 6-17 is $5 and children five and under get in free.

For more information about events, exhibits and how to sign up for the car show or mutton bustin’, go to www. pocfair.com. To enter the open rodeo, call or text 509-3898403. Entries are $80 cash.

For those headed to the Bonner County Fair and Rodeo just over the state line, the theme is Independence and Farmers’ Descendants, Aug. 18-22. Fair admission is free, and parking is $7 for a weeklong pass.

Like its Washington neighbor, there is no shortage of activities and events at the Bonner County Fair to check out during the week, including the Bonner County Brawl demolition derby on Saturday, bronc riding, World’s Smallest Rodeo, stock dog show, and more.

Some of the contests for the public to partake in are an ice cream eating contest, a beard, mustache and mullet competition and others.

Food, gardening, fine arts, artisan crafts, fishing and outdoors and other subjects too various to list will be on display for people to peruse.

For a full schedule of events, visit bonnercountyfair.com, click on the “Fair Book” link, and follow Bonner County Fairgrounds on social media. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.