By ALYSSA ZERKLE
Moapa Valley Progress
It’s time again to dust off your cowboy boots and head to the Clark County Fair and Rodeo. This week, there will be something for the whole family to enjoy at the Fair Grounds starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday. The big annual event will include grounds acts, vendors, rodeo, fine arts, and horticulture exhibits. And what’s not to love about the “Fair Food” including funnel cakes, gyros, Texas Twisters, deep fried oreos and more?
The Fair is an event that folks look forward to all year. Fun fact: the Fair brings about 60,000 people to Logandale.
And all those people are never lacking for entertainment at the Fair. This year the headliner concert will be performed by the band Lonestar. They will play their famous country favorites on Friday, April 11 at 9:30 pm.
In addition, Michael Peterson will be putting on a free concert Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 pm.
Throughout the four days of the Fair there will be numerous acts on the grounds and the stages. The Alley Cats, “America’s Premier Doo Wop Group,” and Tyzen the Master Hypnotist are two acts to look forward to at the Plaza Stage. This year at the Midway Stage will be Kids Celebration, a family game show. Everyone can also enjoy the gymnastics, ballet, dance, and clogging talents of Clark County children and adults.
Of course, the Clark County Rodeo is the place to be for a good evening of entertainment. The main event rodeo featres the best of the best with over 600 nation-wide contestants competed for over $250,000 in prize money. Go watch your favorite cowboys do what they do best.
Let’s not forget about the Clark County Junior Livestock Show (CCJLA). Youth from all over southern Nevada and into Lincoln County spend about 6 months out of the year preparing for this show. They exhibit their pigs, goats, lambs, and steers. Throughout the year they learn about their animal and the different cuts of meat, attend 4H meetings, feed, and walk them to be ready for anything in front of the judge.
The livestock show will extend over three days of the Fair. Thursday is all about judging the meat and bone structure of the animal. On this day a Grand and Reserve Champion will be chosen for every specie of animal. Friday is the Showmanship contest. Participants show off their animal the best they can. Those chosen to go to the next level get to participate in the Round Robin where they must show a lamb, goat, pig, and steer. On Saturday the animals get auctioned off to the highest bidders. Whether you are part of the CCJLA show, watching a relative, or just like to see the animals, the livestock show is a must see at the fair.
The Fine Arts Building is a great place to slow down from the hustle and bustle of the Fair and enjoy local talent. Displayed will be varieties of specialty arts including photography, paintings, sculptures, sewing, quilting, embroidery, cross-stitch, woodworking, metalworking, scrapbooking, non-perishable foods (jams, jellies, pickled vegetables, etc.), perishable food items (cookies, cakes, breads, etc.), and science projects. The theme for the building this year will be “American Made”. There will be patriotic decor scattered throughout the building.
The Horticultural exhibit is also an important part of the ambience of the Fine Arts Building. This can be a time to admire the flowers and plants grown by folks right here locally. Don’t forget that the deadline for horticultural entries isn’t until Thursday, April 10, so don’t be shy to show off your own home-grown talent!
The beloved Country Store will be located within this fine arts building again this year.
No matter what part of the Clark County Fair you end up in, it is all a good time and worth getting out of the house for!
For more information, go to www.ccfair.com for a full listing of events.
