Tropical paradise awaits Holt County Fair visitors

Aloha. A luau is in the air at this year’s 2022 Holt County Fair, which begins Saturday, Aug. 6 and continues through the Aug. 13.

Directors and members are preparing for a fair bigger and better than any year before. A varied schedule of activities is planned for this year’s festivities, with many new events special to this year.

Several prefair events will kick off the 2022 Holt County Fair.

Saturday, August 6

Registration opens for 4-H shooting events at 8 a.m. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., .22, trap, small-bore, and pistol and muzzle-loading will take place.

Sunday, August 7

4-H shooting events will begin at 2 p.m and continue until 4:30 p.m, with BB gun and air rifle competition. Air pistol contestants will shoot in the show barn. Archery will also be featured. Registration for these events will open at 1 p.m.

Monday, August 8

The Holt County Fair will officially kick off at 8 a.m., with check-in for cats, pocket pets and small animals. At 8:30 a.m., the Clover Kids will start cat projects, followed by the cat show. Immediately after, Clover Kids will show small animal projects; followed by the small animal show.

Dogs will get their time in the limelight as well, with check-in starting at 8:30 a.m. The Clover Kids dog project will kick off the show, with the 4-H dog show following. Immediately after, the open class dog show will begin in the show barn and the outside agility ring.

Tuesday, August 9

The morning activities will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the 4-H horse show check-in. At 8:30 a.m., the horse show will officially kick off with showmanship, pleasure, horsemanship, reining, trail, barrels, poles, working ranch horse and roping.

Wednesday, August 10

Clover and 4-H youths will begin Wednesday morning with interview judging for all static exhibits, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Open class exhibits will be checked in from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m, with junior open class interview judging from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mutton bustin' sign up at 5:30 p.m. will begin the evening’s rodeo activities. Mutton Bustin' will start at 6 p.m. Following the sheep rides, at 7 p.m., the ranch rodeo will take place. During this time, market hog weigh-in will be occurring, ending at 9 p.m. By 9, all market hogs must be in place.

A free carnival will begin this night and continue until Saturday.

Thursday, August 11

Starting at 9 a.m, the market hog show will occur in the north show arena. Clover Kids meat goat project, 4-H bottle meat goats and meat goat show will begin at 11 a.m. After the goat show, from noon until 3 p.m., weigh-in for market beef cattle will be taking place.

Following the beef show, at 1 p.m., Clover Kids will be showing bottle lamb projects and the 4-H members will show bottle lambs. The sheep show will begin immediately following the meat goat show.

At 3 p.m., all animal exhibits are to be in place, except for stocker-feeder calves, junior breeding heifers, producing dairy cows and producing dairy goats.

A livestock judging contest in the north show arena will immediately follow the sheep show, starting around 4 p.m.

Kids will be able to enjoy fun activities, with inflatables and a kids' game tent operating from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Adults will be able to vie for bragging rights at the mini golf course between 4 and 10 p.m.

Anyone wanting to participate in the bonus auction will need to sign up by 6 p.m. Concluding the evening, the Mid-States Rodeo Association Rodeo and slack will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, August 12

As the week winds down, feeder cattle will need to weigh in from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Starting at the same time, bucket calf interviews will be going until noon.

At 8:30 a.m. the beef show will occur and stocker-feeder calves and beef junior breeding heifers must be in place. Open class bucket calves must also be in place at this time.

Many activities are happening at noon, with this being the deadline to sign up for pee wee (three- and four-year-old) beef showmanship.

Pee wee showmanship and open class bucket calf class will be held at the completion of the beef show. To conclude the afternoon, the bucket calf show will be held at 1 p.m.

Once again, inflatables and a kids' game tent will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mini golf will also be held at this time for older children and adults.

At this time, stocker-feeder calves and beef junior breeding heifers are released. Exhibitors must check out with the superintendent.

At the same time, the market livestock bonus auction will take place, with a free watermelon feed hosted by Farm Bureau being held half an hour later, at 5:30 p.m.

Pairing with the watermelon, stop by the freewill-donation barbecue, is also scheduled at 5:30 p.m.

Ak-Sar-Ben awards will begin at 7 p.m., with the last night of the MSRA rodeo beginning at 7:30 p.m.

To end the night, Phil Vandel will perform from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., in the beer garden.

Saturday, August 13

The very last day of the fair will begin at 8 a.m., with producing dairy cows and dairy goats in place. These goats are only producing milk for human consumption; all other dairy goats are to be in place on Thursday by 3 p.m. Also at 8 a.m., Saturday, Clover Kids will be showing dairy goat projects, 4-H exhibitors will be showing bottle dairy goats, followed by dairy goats.

At 8:30 a.m, registration for the sand volleyball tournament will take place, with play beginning at 9 a.m. Only eight teams will be allowed to participate in the tournament. Calling 402-670-1770 or email [email protected] for more information.

While the tournament is being played, champion and reserve champion in all breed classes of stocker-feeder calves and beef junior breeding heifers must be in place by 9 a.m. At 9:30 a.m, the Clover Kid rabbit project will begin and be followed by the rabbit show. Immediately following the rabbit show will be Clover Kid poultry projects, followed by poultry and waterfowl show, next to the poultry/rabbit building).

From 10:30 a.m. until noon, the dairy show will take place and dairy cows will be released following the show.

At 11 a.m., a Midwest classic, cornhole, will take place. Registration begins at 11 a.m. in the beer garden. Registration fee is $40 per team. Teams must take their own bags.

The round robin will take place in the show barn from 1 until 2 p.m., lasting only a short time.

For older individuals, the beer garden will be open from 1 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Individuals of all ages can enjoy the Horn T Zoo, being held from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

To honor competitors, a shooting sports award ceremony will take place in the show barn at 2:30 p.m.

Following the dairy show in the show barn, at approximately 3 p.m., a pedal tractor pull, hosted by Gabriel’s Pedaling Angels, will kick off.

The last night of inflatables and a kids' game tent will take place from 4 to 10 p.m., as well as mini golf.

At 4:30 p.m., open class exhibits will be released and other exhibits will be released at 5:p.m.

Following the release of exhibits; a demo derby, along with a Power Wheels derby, will be held at 6 p.m. Eastern Heights will perform from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.