The Montezuma County Fair starts this weekend, and organizers want to get as much of the community involved as possible.
“We want it to be a week of family fun all week long,” said fair board president Brandee Simmons. “The more community we can get involved, the better.”
The fair starts today with a car race at 5 p.m. and runs through next Sunday, Aug. 7. Highlights include car races this Friday and Saturday, as well as the tractor pull and demolition derby next Saturday, Simmons said.
The fair also will feature 4-H animal shows all week and the junior livestock sale next Saturday afternoon, Simmons said. But she says there will be lots going on besides the livestock events.
“We want to get more community involvement and get people out there who have never been,” she said. “It’s not just about livestock. There’s something for everyone.”
A family gymkhana will take place this Sunday at 10 a.m. and will feature family rodeo events such as a rawhide race and a baton race, Simmons said.
A “Pioneer Day” next Friday will honor seniors in the community with live music, giveaways and discounts, said organizer Linda Carter. The event will feature short sets from various country music acts including Ellis Miller, Donny Johnson and Slim McWilliams. The Southwest Seniors choir and Country Connections Band also will perform.
“These people coming to play are always thrilled to be entertaining a senior audience,” Carter said.
In between music sets, the Montezuma County Cowbelles will host an old-fashioned cakewalk. The Fair Board will provide $1 off food discounts for seniors on that day.
Carter said she hopes to see the Pioneer Day activities evolve into something more for families in future years at the fair.
“We’re looking forward to being a part of the fair,” she said.
Fair events coordinator Kathi Marler is looking forward to shooting competitions this Saturday and the fair royalty competitions on Tuesday. The Fair Queen will be awarded a $500 education scholarship.
As superintendent of the open class competition, she hopes for more people to get involved with that part of the fair. Open class includes a variety of items, including art, baked goods, ceramics, clothing, food preservation, photography, rocketry, woodworking and horticulture.
The open class competition also includes models, which can be anything from plastic car models to die-cast items to Legos, Marler said. She’s accepting open class exhibits Sunday from 2-4 p.m. and Monday from 8-11 a.m., and the competition will be judged Monday at noon.
A 4-H event for kids will take place each day at 2 p.m. in the main fair barn, including a pet parade Thursday and a tug-of-war next Friday, Marler said.
The Montezuma County Music Festival at the fair is in its second year, and it features a bigger name this time – the High Rollers, a Durango country band, Marler said. Three local bands will open for the group, including Not Quite Dry, Repeat Offenders and the Cortez Community Band.
Simmons said the demolition derby, put on by Duane Bradshaw, is one of the biggest events at the fair.
“Last year, they blew up a camper trailer,” Simmons said. “I’m not sure what they’ll blow up this year, but it will be something.”
Marler is hoping to showcase as many people in the community as possible, she said. “There’s a lot of community talent, activities and hobbies and we want to get more people involved,” she said.
For more information, including a full fair schedule, visit www.montezumacounty.org/web/services/countyfair/.