“The World’s Largest Little County Fair” gets underway this week.
“A Demolition Derby Double Header and an Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull kick off the expanded Motor Sports Weekend at the Linn County Fair and Rodeo in Mound City,” according to John Teagarden, longtime fair official.
The 147th annual county fair, one of the five largest in Kansas, runs for eight days, August 4th through the12th.
“We’re also the only Kansas fair with a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo and an Outlaw Tractor Pull,” said Kelly Carbon, fair board president.
“Fair activities actually begin Friday evening, Aug. 4, at 8 o’clock with the second annual two-car team demolition derby,” Carbon explained.
Twelve teams have entered with 24 cars to compete in bracket style elimination featuring two teams going head to head in each heat. Surviving teams from each heat move into the finals.
“When we expanded to two nights of demolition derby last year, there was concern that adding the Friday night derby would hurt our car count at the regular derby on Saturday night,” Carbon said. “However, the opposite happened. We had record 54 cars compete in the traditional derby.”
The Traditional Demolition Derby will begin Saturday evening, Aug. 5, with coronation of the 2017 Linn County Fair & Rodeo Queen at 7:30.
An Outlaw Truck & Tractor Pull action takes over the arena Sunday evening, Aug. 7, at 7:30.
“The Outlaw Pulling Association is the largest pulling group in the Midwest,” Carbon said. “The Linn County Fair event is one of only three Outlaw Truck & Tractor sanctioned pulls in Kansas this year.”
“Veteran tractor pull announcer Dave Bennett, Ninnekah, Oklahoma, returns to call the action at Mound City,” said Brent Paddock, tractor pull chairman. “Dave Bennett is one of the elite motor sport announcers in the nation. He has announced Truck and Tractor Pulls, Monster Trucks and Mud Races at nearly every major football stadium in the United States.”
Judging of 4-H, FFA and open class livestock and all fair exhibits continues throughout next week with the livestock premium auction, Saturday morning, Aug. 12, at 10 o’clock.
“We have 325 head of 4-H and FFA cattle, swine, goats, sheep and horses pre-entered for the 2017 fair,” said Marais Des Cygnes Extension Agent Abby Powell. “Our barns will be full”.
“The 71st annual PRCA Rodeo concludes Linn County Fair activity on Friday and Saturday evenings, Aug. 11-12, at 8 o’clock,” Teagarden pointed out.
New Frontier Rodeo Company, Gypsum, returns as stock contractor with Troy Goodridge as announcer and Matt Tarr, Cody, Wyoming, as the rodeo clown.
“The Linn County Fair Rodeo is a member of the Eastern Kansas Pro Rodeo Series along with the Inter-State Fair Rodeo, Coffeyville, August 16-19, and the Eureka Pro Rodeo, Eureka, August 18-19,” Teagarden informed.
Details about the fair can be found at www.linncountyfair.org, and on Facebook.