Attending the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair is a summertime ritual for thousands of area residents.
While the emphasis remains on the county’s agricultural heritage, organizers are constantly tweaking its slate of entertainment options to keep people amused even when the livestock shows aren’t going on.
Midway carnival rides and go-kart races go along with nightly rock, country and gospel concerts. Watermelon-seed spitting contests, CrossFit competitions and the ever popular tractor pulls draw a crowd.
The fair’s main attraction may be in the barn, but even if you’re not into cattle, hogs or goats, attendees can find something exciting everywhere on the fairgrounds.
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For Brett Jones, chairman of the grandstand events at the fair, planning the entertainment opportunities for fairgoers means finding family-friendly activities that appeal to all ages and all types of people.
Motorsports typically fit the bill best.
“Johnson County has a great reputation for being one of the best demolition derbies in the state, and therefore we see our biggest crowds on Friday and Saturday night,” Jones said. “That’s followed closely by the two nights of truck and tractor pulling.”
The demolition derby and tractor pulls are two of fairs most long-standing events. Jones also has added newer activities as well, including AutoCross, a lawnmower derby and go-karts.
Monster trucks will be featured for the first time this year, and fairgoers will have the opportunity to sit in the “ride truck,” to see what the competitors will go through later that night.
“Folks will get to experience firsthand what it’s like. I hope that it’s a big hit with children and adults alike,” Jones said.
Organizers have also put a greater emphasis on music at the fairgrounds. While the grandstands aren’t equipped to handle large-scale concerts, smaller stages have been set up elsewhere at the fair to provide nightly music.
Performers such as the Blue River Band, Cook & Belle and Sweet Miss Dixie will be playing free shows nightly. Regular gospel shows will be conducted in the A tent, set up just north of Scott Hall.
Other activities, ranging from cooking demonstrations to chainsaw artistry to a cooking competition featuring strawberries, also have been planned for fair week.
Since nearly everything that organizers have scheduled will be conducted outdoors, it’s important to remember the unpredictability of central Indiana summers, Jones said.
Boiling heat in the 90s can give way to threatening thunderstorms in a matter of minutes, so all of the fair activities need to flex with the weather.
“With our facility not being ‘weatherproof,’ you have to take into consideration the opportunity for Mother Nature to intervene with your plans. You have to be able to adapt to that if and when it happens,” Jones said. “Most activities that we schedule can accommodate that.”
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Best of the Best
Here are the highlights in entertainment this year at the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair:
All-terrain vehicle and truck flat drag races
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Grandstand
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.
Fireworks display
When: Dark Sunday
Where: Shooting off from the northwest corner of the fairgrounds
Cost: Free
Live concerts
Where: Concert stage
Who:
• Indy Spotlight, 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday
• Blue River Band, 7 p.m. Monday
• Dumpster Drummers, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Cook & Belle, 7 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Rural Route 3, 7 p.m. July 23
• Sweet Miss Dixie, 7 and 9 p.m. July 24
• Christine Nicole, 5 to 8 p.m. July 25
Cost: Free
Poor Jack Amusements Midway specials
• Monday: Family Night, 6 p.m. to close, $20 unlimited ride bracelet
• Tuesday: Kiddies Day, 1 to 5 p.m., $15 ride bracelet
• Wednesday and July 23: Moonlight Madness, 7 p.m. to close, $20 unlimited ride bracelet
• July 24 and 25: Weekend Madness, 6 p.m. to close, $22 unlimited ride bracelet
• July 25: Kiddies Day, 1 to 5 p.m., $15 ride bracelet
Gospel music
When: 6:30 to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, July 23 to 25.
Where: A tent, north of Scott Hall
Cost: Free
Battle of the Bluegrass truck and tractor pulls
When: 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
Where: Grandstand
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under
Strawberry baking contest
When: Entries accepted from noon to 12:55 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Johnson County Extension office, in the northeast corner of the fairgrounds
Cost: Free to enter; see rules at johnsoncountyfair.com
CrossFit and Strongman Challenge
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Grandstand
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under
AutoCross, Youth Derby, Mini-Monster Trucks and Monster Truck Show
When: 7 p.m. July 23
Where: Grandstand
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under
Demolition Derby Pro Class Rules, Gut-N-Go and Lawnmower Derby
When: 7 p.m. July 24 and 25
Where: Grandstand
Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under
Watermelon seed-spitting contest
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Farm Bureau back lot
Cost: Free entry; kids ages 5 to 10, separated into three classes
Cooking demonstrations
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday through July 25
Where: Farm Bureau Building
Cost: Free
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