Blaine County Fair starts this week

When she was growing up, Wendy Warburton said, the Blaine County Fair was something she looked forward to each year.

As a member of 4-H, Warburton said she would work hard throughout the year on projects ranging from horsemanship, sewing and photography among other things that would later be demonstrated or exhibited at the fair.

Warburton, who is now the manager of the Blaine County Fairgrounds in Chinook, said for her the fair was the culmination of each year’s efforts and achievements.

“You are working on your 4-H projects all year long and the fair is kind of like your reward, your big reward, your big payoff at the end, for all your hard work at the end of the year,” Warburton said.

She said the pride she and others felt annually in showcasing the fruits of their labor and how the event made the community come alive, is what drives her and others to make the fair a memorable experience for young people.

This year’s Blaine County Fair will run from Wednesday to Sunday in Chinook.

Warburton said that she and the Blaine County Fair Board have worked hard to forge relationships within nearby communities to raise funds and improve the fair-going experience.

They included a successful two-day fundraiser through the Havre Pizza Hut in May. Those who ordered food during that period could request to have 20 percent of the money go toward the Blaine County Fair for upgrades to the fairgrounds and activities for this year’s fair.

Dreamland Carnival Company is under contract to provide at least 13 rides to the fair. Dreamland is a branch of North Star Amusements, a Billings-based carnival company which supplied rides for the spring fair at the Holiday Village Mall in May and in years past at the Great Northern Fair.  

Dreamland is also under contract for carnivals at this year’s Great Northern Fair in Havre and the Central Montana Fair in Lewistown.

Warburton said the fair board, led by President Don Richman, played a key role in working with other counties to find a quality carnival for fairs throughout the Hi-Line,

“We met with and we interviewed many carnival companies from across the country, and they put a lot of work into it,” Warburton said of the fair board.

“These are good, big rides, not anything to sneeze at,” Warburton said.

The rides will include: a Yo Yo, a Ring of Fire, a Super Sizzler and an inverted train known as a High Roller.

Unlike in years past, the Bear Paw Roundup rodeo will be part of the fair. In years past it was a separate event held in June, but this year it will be part of the fair in the main arena on Thursday and Friday nights.

Though there will not be a big concert act on one night, Warburton said that Cale Moon, a country singer and songwriter, will perform free of charge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night after the rodeos and demolition derbies.

As many as 50 vendors may have displays at this year’s fair.

“I have to try to figure out how to fit everybody, but we don’t want to turn anybody away,” Warburton said.

So far she estimates 30 vendors have reserved space in the community center, she said, while about 12 others will be set up outside.

For the third year in a row 88.1 KGVA, the radio station owned and operated by the Gros-Ventre and Assiniboine of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, will be broadcasting live from the fairgrounds throughout the fair. Some vendors from Fort Belknap will also have booths set up.

There will also be buses transporting people to and from Fort Belknap as well as Harlem to the fairgrounds.

Warburton said in recent years Fort Belknap has had a greater presence at the fair.  

“Fort Belknap is part of Blaine County too, and so we are welcoming them in more and more ways all the time,” she said.

Schedule

Wednesday, July 13

• Kids Rodeo will be at 5 p.m. There will be five competitions in male and female brackets for people 18 and younger: the mini for 5 and younger, the mini ages for children 4-8, the junior ages for children 9-13, and the senior ages for 13-18. Entry and consent forms are posted on http://blainecountyfair.net

Thursday, July 14

• 18th annual Bear Paw Roundup PRCA Rodeo, 7 p.m. For more on the rules for the rodeo at http://blainecountyfair.net. General admission is $10 per night, children 12 and younger get in free   

• Country music singer and songwriter Cale Moon performs free of charge after the Bear Paw Roundup PRCA Rodeo

Friday, July 15

• Homing pigeon release in front of the Poultry Barn, 10 a.m.

• 18th annual Bear Paw Roundup PRCA Rodeo, 7 p.m. The events will include renaming the arena the George Ortner Rodeo Arena. Ortner, who was a longtime member of the Blaine County Fair Board died last year. For more on the rules for the rodeo people can go to http://blainecountyfair.net. General admission is $10 per night and $5 for children 12 and younger.

• Cale Moon performs free of charge after the rodeo. The beer garden will be open

Saturday, July 16

• Homing pigeon release in front of the Poultry Barn, 10 a.m.

• The Blaine County Showdown Demolition Derby, 5 p.m. Entry fee is $100 the day of the race. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children. There will also be a one-heat Chain ’n’ Bang Derby. There will be a powder-puff derby for female drivers and a Powerwheels Derby  where young children can participate using their electric run cars. There is no fee to enter the Powerwheels Derby but drivers must wear a helmet. Participants will receive a medal and a free ice cream cone. For more information on the rules for each derby people can go to http://blainecountyfair.net   

• Cale Moon, a country music singer and songwriter performs free of charge after the derby.

Sunday, June 17

• Homing pigeon release in front of the Poultry Barn, 10 a.m.   

• Livestock sale for the 4-H and FFA youth at 1 p.m. in the and Sale Barn.

• Pig Wrestling will be at 4 p.m. in the Ortner Arena. Those interested in forming teams will have until Friday to sign up. Entry forms are avaliable at the Blaine County Fair Office, on http://blainecountyfair.net and at Richman Insurance in Harlem. Admission is $10 and free for those 10 and younger

A complete list of activities can be found at http://blainecountyfair.net.

Presale tickets are available until Wednesday for $20 at the fair office and through the fair’s website. They can also be purchased at Yummy Foods at the Holiday Village Mall and Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods in Havre, in Chinook at Ace Hardware, American Garage and Finely’s Food Farm, and in Harlem at CarQuest or Richman Insurance.