‘The friendliest fair’

OTHELLO — The Othello Fair kicks off Wednesday at the Adams County Fairgrounds, and there’s a lot that’s new. That’s by design, said Fair Board President Becky Flint. 

“Every year we try to do all new (entertainment),” Flint said. “We try not to have a stale fair.” 

One thing that’s new is a beanbag toss tournament Saturday starting at noon. It’s organized by 3 City Slingers; an amateur beanbag toss club in the Tri-Cities. Players register in pairs in three skill divisions: $60 per team for the advanced, $40 for intermediate and $20 for novice. Play is a round robin format; each team will have at least two or three games, according to board member Elizabeth Guse. As of Friday, there were 23 teams signed up, Guse said, and registration is still ongoing. 

“We do have quite a bit of money in the prize pot,” Guse said. “All the entry money will go toward (prizes) and then (the fair) put up $1,500.” 

Registrations will be accepted in person right up until the tournament begins, Guse said, but teams that pre-register at least 24 hours before the fair begins are admitted to the fair free. Players can register at scoreholio.com. 

The entertainment is fresh too, Guse said. There’s some homegrown talent in the form of Whiskey River from Moses Lake and Little Ben and B-Man from Othello. From Ellensburg we’ll see Hillia Hula Hoop Extraordinaire, who pushes the creative limits of hula-hooping with jaw-dropping tricks, according to her website. Circus Luminescence, a two-man juggling act, will perform as well. 

“Everything they juggle is lit up,” Guse said. They also juggle fire, Guse added; she wasn’t sure if the Othello Fair show would include that, but she scheduled them for later in the evening just in case. 

Strolling around the fairgrounds will be The Chicken Rider, also known as Bill Jarcho, who’s been featured at fairs and festivals around the region dressed as a sheriff on, yes, his giant chicken, and balloon artist Cody Williams. 

Headlining the entertainment is American Mile, a country rock band from Los Angeles with explosive stage presence and tight three-part harmonies, according to their website. They’ll perform three shows a day at the Columbia Basin Health Association Stage. 

For the younger fairgoers, the Vuelta La Luna Circus will bring its acrobatic show to the fairgrounds’ Kids Zone. The Kids Zone is something the fair board is especially proud of, Guse said. 

“The Kids Zone is growing every year,” she said. “It’s a way for the kids who are there all along, showing (livestock), they can just get away and play. Or (for) people who can’t necessarily afford to be wristbands for the carnival every day. It’s a nice area that’s supervised. It’s open 11-7.” 

Besides the Vuelta La Luna Circus, there are toys, games and bubbles in the Kids Zone. Kids can come and go as they please, Guse said. 

Of course, the central part of a rural fair is the exhibits, especially the youth livestock showings. 

“It’s a huge, important piece to the puzzle,” Flint said. “We would not have a fair without livestock.” 

The livestock exhibits get bigger every year, Flint said. This year and next the Othello Fair takes place the same week as a livestock show in Connell, but even with that, the camping is filling up. It never gets completely full, Flint said, because she won’t let it. 

“We always have room,” she said. “We don’t say no. I don’t say no to anybody camping because we have such a huge field. I could do unlimited dry camping.” 

The livestock sale is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Flint said, and all buyers are invited to a dinner following the sale featuring beef, pork and lamb. 

There are other exhibits as well: a whole exhibit building with 19 categories including photography, quilting, Legos. As of Friday, there were 3,446 entries in those categories. 

“It’s called still life (exhibits),” Flint said. “It’s anything without a heartbeat.” 

The traditional chili cookoff is on hiatus this year, Flint said. Next year organizers may bring it back, or they may switch over to a barbecue competition, depending on whether the increased electricity that requires could be worked out. 

The Othello Fair isn’t as large as some county fairs, Flint said, but it makes up for it in atmosphere. 

“Our (fair) is more family-oriented, more community-oriented,” she said. “Othello is the friendliest fair.” 

    Mark, left, and Henry Campbell play a game at the Kids Zone at last year’s Othello Fair. The Kids Zone is something the fair organizers are especially proud of: a place where young fairgoers can hangout and just be kids.
  

    Hillia Hula Hoop Extraordinaire will perform jaw-dropping tricks with hula hoops at the Othello Fair, which starts Wednesday.
  

    Sheriff Fowler and his chicken steed can be found roaming the Adams County Fairgrounds this week at the Othello Fair.
  

    The country rock band American Mile will headline three shows a day at the Othello Fair, which starts Wednesday.