Grant County Fair opens Tuesday
File photo Visitors to last year’s Grant County Fair enjoy the sun and the exhibits. This year’s fair begins Tuesday.
MOSES LAKE — The FFA and 4-H competitors, the Boy and Girl Scouts and Camp Fire participants are putting the finishing touches on their projects. The carnival rides are going up. The rodeo stock is being trucked in. The gates open for the Grant County Fair Tuesday morning, and the fair continues through Saturday.
The action starts even before the gates open, with an exhibitor meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Livestock competitions begin at 8 a.m. with some horsemanship classes, and some rabbit and poultry classes at 8:30 a.m. Dog exhibitors check in at 9 a.m.
The fair opens to the public at 10 a.m.; Tuesday is free admission. The general public is admitted at 10 a.m. every day. Dog and sheep competition begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The opening ceremonies are scheduled for noon at the flag court. Midway entertainment begins at 11 a.m. and continues all week.
Goat and dairy cattle competition begin at 1 p.m. The carnival opens at 2 p.m. and is open every afternoon and evening all week. The exhibit buildings close at 10 p.m., the carnival at midnight.
Swine, beef and lamb competition begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday with market classes, fitting and showing Thursday and the market stock sale Friday.
“Pioneer Days,” an exhibit of Grant County history, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday. Some 4-H events, starting with food activities, begin at 1 p.m.
Time trials in the demo derby actually start 6:30 p.m., but the gates open at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The demo derby itself is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the rodeo arena.
Livestock fitting and showing competition begins at 8 a.m. Thursday; 4-H, FFA and open class competition continues all day. The poultry and rabbit costume contest is at 10 a.m.
The first of three Moses Lake Roundup performances begins at 6:30 p.m. at the rodeo arena. Thursday night is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night, to promote awareness of breast cancer.
There’s something for everybody at the fair, and that includes people who own “pocket pets.” Competition for pocket pet owners begins at 9 a.m. Friday, starting with check-in at building 17, where all pocket pet competition will be held.
Many 4-H, FFA and open class competitors will learn how much the summer’s work is really worth to them at the market livestock sale, which begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Ardell Pavilion. The Friday performance of the Moses Lake Roundup begins at 6:30 p.m.
Horse judging for 4-H and FFA competitors begins at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, followed by 4-H and FFA livestock judging and FFA tractor driving competition. The 4-H fashion revue is at 9 a.m., followed by clothing and food judging, and 4-H demonstrations at 11 a.m.
Two rounds of the “world-famous siphon setting contest” are scheduled for 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. (Siphon tubes are the old-school method of irrigation.)
Awards for 4-H and FFA competitors will be announced Saturday afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m. The finale of the Moses Lake Roundup closes out the fair, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday is “Man Up Crusade” night, raising awareness of domestic violence.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.