Pre-fair events start next week
The pre-fair events of the Barton County Fair start in one week, with the judging of 4-H clothing, fiber arts and banners on Wednesday, June 27.
Judging starts at 8:30 a.m. that day at Trinity Lutheran Church. The public Fashion Revue will take place at 7 p.m. June 27 at the Crest Theater.
Another pre-fair event is the 4-H Dog Show and Agility Contest at 6 p.m. Friday, July 6, at Expo III.
On Saturday, July 7, setup will begin in Expo II. The open class Dog Show and Agility Contest will start at 8:30 a.m. in Expo III, followed by the Livestock Skillathon Contest from 9-11 a.m.
Opening day for the fair is Wednesday, July 11. It’s not too early think about entries in 4-H and open class exhibits, said Charles Atkinson with the fair association. Fair books are available at the Barton County Extension Office, Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Orscheln Farm and Home. All information and entry forms can be found online at BartonCountyFair.com. Tickets may also be ordered online.
Courtesy photo
County singers “The McClymonts” will appear at the Barton County Fair in July. There will also be concerts by the Christian and Cloverton and the AC/DC tribute band Hells/Bells.
The Barton County Fair will feature nightly concerts July 12-14, including The McClymonts, an Australian group named Global Country Artist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2011.
The McClymonts will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, on the Farmers Bank & Trust Stage at the Barton County Expo Complex, said Charles Atkinson, president of the Barton County Fair Association Executive Board. Atkinson is also chairman of the entertainment committee.
“We’re kind of going back to our roots,” Atkinson said, referring to a fair tradition of booking up-and-coming country acts that often go on to fame. “When we had Keith Urban, no one knew who he was.” Urban, another singer from Down Under, has since had 14 songs hit number one on country charts.
The McClymonts, sisters Sam, Brooke and Mollie, sing and play their own instruments. They’ve moved to Nashville and their third studio album, “Two Worlds Collide,” was released in May.
The Barton County Fair will continue its tradition of offering a Christian music concert and a rock concert as well. The headliners for Christian Music Night, Thursday, July 12, are Cloverton, from Manhattan — making them the only group with no Australian connection this year. The four-piece band’s latest CD is “The End is the Beginning.”
Atkinson said he started hearing Cloverston on KLOVE radio last year, about the time the 2011 Barton County Fair was wrapping up. According to the band’s website, their first single, “Take Me into the Beautiful,” became the No. 1 most downloaded song in the history of KLOVE. They are also winners of the first “Rock the Camp” contest, hosted by TobyMac and Camp Electric.
That heavenly music will be followed up with a Friday the 13th concert by Hells/Bells, an AC/DC tribute band. This group says it has been rated the world’s best tribute to Australian rock band AC/DC, whose hits include “Hells Bells,” “You Shook me All Night Long” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheep.”
“These guys are outstanding,” Atkinson said. Their music, costumes and special effects will be appreciated by AC/DC fans.
In addition to the three concerts, this year’s fair entertainment will include Wagner’s Carnival, free-stage entertainers, and this year’s Expo I attraction, the Model Association of Central Kansas (MACK), whose members will be flying remote control model airplanes.
