Holt County Fair features 4-H exhibits, top entertainment

Nearly a year after many 4-H youths were not able to compete in event due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Holt County Fair is returning with a bigger and better schedule, according to fair officials. Fair events will begin Saturday.

Saturday, August 7

4-H shooting sports events will begin, with competition in 22, trap, smallbore, pistol and muzzle loading slated to take place. The competition will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with registration scheduled for 8 a.m.

Sunday, August 8

A second day of 4-H shooting sports will include BB gun, air rifle, air pistol and archery. Registration will open at 1 p.m., with competition scheduled to begin at 2.

Monday, August 9

At 12:30 p.m., fair week will officially kick off with "Meet Me in the Ring" for prayer and the Star-Spangled Banner in the show barn. Check-in for cats, pocket pets and small animals will open at 1 p.m., with Clover Kid cat project and cat show to follow.

Clover Kids small animal project will begin as soon as the cat show is finished, with the small animal show to follow.

At 2:30 p.m., check-in for Clover Kid dogs will open. Once the 4-H dog show is complete, open class and Clover Kid dog shows will follow.

Tuesday, August 10

Beginning the day, 4-H horse show check-in will start at 7:30 a.m.

"Meet Me in the Ring" prayer and Star-Spangled Banner will follow at 8 a.m. in the rodeo arena.

The 4-H horse show will officially begin at 8:30 a.m., with competitors showcasing their skills in showmanship, pleasure, horsemanship, reining, trail, barrels, poles, working ranch horse and roping.

Wednesday, August 11

Clover Kid and 4-H interview judging will occur from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while open class exhibits are being checked in at the same time.

Meanwhile, junior open class interview judging will start at 11 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The same evening, market hog weigh-in will be open from 7 to 9, with sheep and goats also being allowed to check in during the same time, but not required to. All market hogs are asked to be in place by 9 p.m.

Youngsters may want to register for mutton busting. Sign-up will be open from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

Then, get ready for bulls, broncs, barrels and bustin', in the arena, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Thursday, August 12

Goat and sheep weigh-ins will start at 7 a.m. and continue until 9. "Meet Me in the Ring" and the Star-Spangled Banner will occur at 8:30 a.m.

The market hog show will begin at 9 a.m., or as soon as the goat and sheep weigh-ins are finished. It is requested that all meat goat and sheep exhibits be in place at 10 a.m.

Clover Kid meat goat project, 4-H bottle meat goats and the meat goat show will start at noon and continue to 3 p.m. in the north show area.

Weigh-ins for market beef cattle will occur from noon to 3 p.m.

Clover Kid bottle lamb project, 4-H bottle lambs and sheep show will start at 2:30 p.m. with judging to follow.

Following the sheep show, a livestock judging contest in the north show arena will at 5 p.m.

All animal exhibits, except for stocker feeder calves, junior breeding heifers and producing dairy cows, are requested to be in place by 3 p.m.

Anyone wanting to register for the bonus auction is asked to sign up before the deadline at 6 p.m.

Horn T Zoo will host a reptile exhibit, from 4 to 10 p.m.

Mini golf will also be available during those hours.

The beer garden will open at 6 p.m. and close at 1 a.m.

Mid-States Rodeo Association will take center stage, with rodeo action slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the arena.

Friday, August 13

Weigh-in for feeder cattle begins at 7:30 a.m. and lasts one hour, with bucket calf interviews starting at the same time and ending at noon.

As always, "Meet Me in the Ring" prayer and Star-Spangled Banner will kick off the show, beginning at 8 a.m., in the show barn, with the beef show following in the show arena.

Stocker feeder calves and junior breeding heifers need to be in place by 8:30 a.m, as well as open class bucket calves.

Any peewees, ages three and four, wanting to be in beef showmanship must register with the beef superintendent by noon.

In the afternoon, the bucket calf show will begin at 1 in the show arena, with the beef show scheduled to reconvene from lunch break following the bucket calf show.

All stocker feeder calves and beef junior breeding heifers will be released at 5 p.m. and must be checked out with the beef superintendent.

The market livestock bonus auction will occur at the same time as checkout.

Horn T Zoo will be open with a reptile exhibit from 4 to 10 p.m. and mini golf will be open during these hours also.

Farm Bureau will host a free watermelon feed, from 5:30 to 6:30.

A freewill donation barbecue will be served from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Studio 15 Irish Step Dancers will perform from 6:30 to 7:30.

The beer garden will be open from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Aksarben awards and the MSRA rodeo will begin at 7:30 p.m.

At 9 p.m., the Eastern Heights Band will perform in the beer garden.

Saturday, August 14

Beginning of the day of events include the "Meet Me in the Ring" prayer and Star-Spangled Banner in the show barn.

All producing dairy cows and goats must be in place by 8 a.m., with Clover Kid dairy goat project, 4-H bottle dairy goats and dairy goat show occurring at the same time in the show arena.

Champion and reserve champion in all-breed classes of stocker feeder calves and junior. breeding heifers are required to be in place by 9 a.m. and remain until 4 p.m.

The Clover Kid rabbit project will begin at 9:40 a.m. with a rabbit show to follow immediately. Clover Kid poultry projects will follow the rabbit show, with poultry and waterfowl show to start after the Clover Kids. All these Clover Kid events will occur in the poultry/rabbit building.

The dairy show will begin in the show barn at 10:30 a.m and continue until noon. All dairy cows in the show will be released following the show. Also in the show barn, a round-robin contest will occur from 1 to 2 p.m.

A youth pedal-tractor pull will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Shooting sports awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m. in the show barn.

Horn T Zoo will have reptiles on display from 1 to 8 p.m.

At 4 p.m., test your putting game with mini golf. The game will be open until 10 p.m.

All exhibits in the show building will be released at 5:30 p.m.

The beer garden will open at 6 p.m. and remain open until 1 a.m.

A demo derby is slated to kick off the evening entertainment at 6 p.m.

Following the derby, listen to Dylan Bloom perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.