27 Jul 2014

Fair Promises Entertainment For Everyone

For the second year in a row, the Monroe County Fair will kick off with two country music shows the first two days in the newly remodeled grandstand.

And then a familiar ver­satile all-male variety band — New Odyssey — will return to the fair for the first time in nine years
A new daily free attrac­tion will be hypnotist Richard Barker. Mr. Barker will perform his craft at the corner of LaSalle and Frenchtown Sts. at 4 and 7 p.m. on Sunday and 3:15, 6 and 8 p.m. each day the rest of the week

Rising country music sensation Justin Moore will make his debut Sunday night and an old favor­ite — The Oak Ridge Boys — will return on Monday night to entertain guests
The events follow on the heels of last year’s block­buster concert by Hunter Hayes on the first night and the Charlie Daniels Band on Monday night
Mr. Moore, owner of four No. 1 hits in the past two years, will sing for an 8 p.m. concert in the grandstand. All tickets are general admission and cost $35. Tickets can be purchased before the concert at the fair office that is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Spectators are reminded they will have to pay a $5 admission fee to enter the fairgrounds start­ing Sunday
Gates to the concert will open at 6:30. It will be the first show in the grandstand since the wooden floorboards and seats were removed in the north bleachers and replaced with all metal planks. The new seating, aisles and rails will assure a good viewing experience for spectators for years to come, said fair organizers
Tickets also are avail­able for the The Oak Ridge Boys’ 8 p.m. concert on Monday. The tickets are $35 for chair seats on the grandstand track and $25 for general admission seat­ing in the bleachers
There will be plenty of other entertainment on the grounds all week. #Information about these and other fair attractions is available on the fair’s Web site at www.monroecoun-t­yfair. com. A roundup of daily en­tertainment in the grand­stand and other events follows:
SUNDAY
The fair opens at 10 a.m.
with Kiddie Land Rides open from 3 to 9 p.m. on the Mid American Shows’ midway. As is the custom, the main midway rides won’t open until Monday afternoon.
Rides on the Little Smokey train locomotive will be from noon to 6:30 p.m. Boarding is at the depot located at the north­east corner of the grounds. Besides the Moore concert, other highlights include a classic car show and a 1950s dance with DJ Dennis McCoy and MC Sound Solutions from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Glenn F. Stock Arena.
Pastor Mark McCaskill from Cornerstone Bap­tist Church, Ida, will play Christian music at 3:30 p.m. under the free white entertainment tent located on LaSalle St. at the north edge of Farm Machin­ery Row across from the Monroe Bank & Trust Expo Center. Guitarist Tom Treece and Cross Point will play more music at 6:45 in the tent.
The musical program in the tent replaces the fair dedication service held in the past.
MONDAY
The Oak Ridge Boys’ concert in the grandstand, the midway opening at 3 p.m. and Veterans Day activities will highlight the first full day of the fair.
The midway will open with its traditional Ride­A-Thon that lasts until 11.
Visitors can pay $22 and receive a wristband to ride the rest of the night.
The price is $2 more than last year. Individual ride tickets also will be sold.
Parents should note there are height restrictions on some rides. The midway opens at various times the rest of the week.
Any veteran with proper identification will be ad­mitted to the grounds free until 6 p.m. A parade led by a veterans’ color guard and bagpiper will begin at 2:30 at the white entertain­ment tent followed by a short recognition program. Millie’s Polka Band will play at 6:45 and 8:30 in the tent. The Little Smokey train ride will run from noon to 6:30 p.m.
and judging of haflinger hitches and halter classes will start at 12:30 in the Stock Arena.
TUESDAY
One of the biggest attrac­tions of the week — the de­molition derby — will take place at 6 and 9 p.m. in the grandstand on Children’s Day.
It’s the 41st year for the popular car smashups with all seats reserved. Admis­sion for the first show is $7 for seats in the revamped north and south bleach­ers and $8 for seats in the covered grandstand. Prices are $1 more for the second contest.
Children up to 17 can enter the grounds free until 5 p.m. The midway opens at 1 with another ride special. Visitors can buy wristbands for $22 and ride amusement rides the rest of the day.
The Monroe Big Band will perform at 6:45 and 8:30 in the white tent. #Rides on Little Smokey will be from noon to 5.
WEDNESDAY
New Odyssey, a three­member band that wooed crowds daily from 1990 to 2005 under the old white canopy, is returning for one day to perform two free shows at 3 and 7:30 p.m. in the grandstand on Senior Citizens Day.
The band will open for the annual senior citizens’ awards program at 3.
The awards for the oldest man and woman present and the longest-married couple are being held in the grandstand for the first time after having been held for years in the white tent.


New Odyssey, a Chicago-based trio, consists of bass player Michael Jay, drummer Gary Todd and keyboard player and pianist Gary Polkow. The three talented and funny musicians, who have played together for 33 years, can play 30 different instruments. They last played in Monroe to help kick off the River Raisin Jazz Festival in 2011. Joining them was jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic and other festival acts.
New Odyssey replaces motor­cross racing that was held the past two years on Wednesday night.
Anyone 65 and over can enter the fair for $2 until 5 p.m. #It will be Dollar Day on the midway with all rides $1 each all day. The midway opens at 3.
A free horse-pulling contest will begin at 9 a.m. in the Stock Arena. The best pullers will re­ceive trophies paid for by Mon­roe County Farm Bureau while Ottawa Lake Co-Op Elevator and Stoneco of Michigan are under­writing costs of the competition.
Lightweight horse pulling will be held first followed by the heavyweight classes.
Judging of mules in halters will begin at 1 p.m. in the Stock Arena followed by classes in the mule hitches at 2. Farm Bureau also is sponsoring the trophies. Recently retired Dr. Joseph Hunt of Carleton will enter his mules in the competition.
The Scott Thompson Band will entertain at 6:45 and 8:30 in the white tent. Little Smokey train rides will be offered from noon to 5:45.
THURSDAY
The annual Ladies Day pro­gram and the popular tractor pulls will highlight this day.
All women and girls 13 and older will be admitted to the grounds for $2 until 3 p.m. The ladies’ program will run from 12:30 to 3 in the White Tent and is sponsored by the Mall of Monroe.
Music by Fiddlesix will open the program, which also in­cludes door prizes and a pre­sentation on “Annette’s Pure and Natural Alternatives — Recipes for Living a More Simple Live.” The announcement of the Homemaker of the Year Award along with the runners up by last year’s winner, Alicia Ray of Mon­roe, will conclude the program. Mrs. Ray is married and has three children.
Those who come early can watch the 4-H fashion revue show from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and the 4-H talent show from 10:30 to noon. Both of those events will be at the bandshell located next to the Eby Log Cabin.
The main attraction at night will be the tractor pulling con­tests at 7 p.m. in the grandstand. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger. Pit passes are $25. The National Tractor Pullers Association is sanctioning the pull.
A ride-a-thon will be offered again when the midway opens at 2 with a pay-one-price of $22 until 10.
The Lazy River Band, which has played for years in the region, will entertain at 6:45 and 8:30 in the white tent.
Among the free entertainment shows will be judging of draft horse hitches and miniature horses at 3 p.m. in the Stock Arena.
Rides on Little Smokey will be from noon to 5:45.
FRIDAY
Monster trucks are returning to the fair again and will perform at 7 p.m. in the grandstand.
The event will feature huge trucks rolling over and other trucks that drove over banged­up demolition derby cars from Tuesday night. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger.
A kiddie tractor pull will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the band­shell and judging of draft horses in halters will begin at 10 a.m. in the Stock Arena. The horse judg­ing is free to viewers.
The Scott Thompson Band will play again at 6:45 and 8:30 p.m. in the white tent. Little Smokey train rides will be from noon to 5:45.
The midway opens at 3 with unlimited rides for $22. Indi­vidual ride tickets also will be available. SATURDAY
The final day of the fair is Fam­ily Day and will conclude with the Josh Wilson Christian music concert at 6 p.m. in the Stock Arena and the traditional Com­bine Demolition Derby contest at 7 in the grandstand.
The Chuck Tocco Band will join Mr. Wilson in providing upbeat contemporary Christian music. The concert is free to visitors.
Admission to the derby is $6 for adults and $1 for children 12 and younger. Pit passes are $20.
The midway opens at noon and will include a $2 ride special until 6, after which regular ride prices will be offered.
The Lazy River Band returns for performances at 6:45 and 8:30 in the white tent. Final rides on Little Smokey will be from noon to 5:45.
A miniature horse pull begins at 9 a.m. in the Stock Arena.
The free fair celebration dance to wrap up the week begins at 8 p.m. in The Andersons Show Arena.
>
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...