Senator Pearce's Capitol Report

As a Missouri state senator representing Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Saline and Livingston counties, I see year after year how full this time of year becomes with our many county fair events. I love traveling across our part of the state, watching our 4-H and FFA members proudly show their livestock, eating way too much fair food and spending time with my local community. Few events bring cities, villages and towns together like a classic county fair, and I would like to use this week’s column to give you some information on the events taking place this year.

Caldwell County Fair – July 9, 16 and 21-22

·    The Caldwell County Fair kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on July 9 with the Caldwell County Fair Horse Show at the Polo Saddle Club Horse Show Grounds in Polo. Saturday the 16^th will be 4-H Achievement Day at the fairgrounds, and July 21-22 will feature the Queen Contest, cattle, goat, sheep and swine shows, and an appreciation dinner.

Carroll County Fair – July 5-9

·    The Carroll County Fair will take place at the county fairgrounds in Carrollton, from Tuesday, July 5 to Saturday, July 9 for 4-H and FFA members. A long list of 4-H and FFA shows will be taking place that week, complete with a concession stand, which will be slinging up delicious biscuits and gravy for the fair-goers.

Howard County Fair – Aug. 6-13

·    The 71^st annual Howard County Fair will be taking place in August this year. Admission is $5 for ages 10 and up, and $2 for seniors over the age of 62. This year’s festival will feature some really exciting events like the professional rodeo, combine derby and demolition derby. For more information on the Howard Fair, visit howardcountyfair.org.

Johnson County Fair – July 5-10

·    The 2016 Johnson County Fair will be held at the fairgrounds in my hometown of Warrensburg. There will be live bands, professional bull riding, an ice cream social, a fish fry and even a BBQ contest. The junior livestock and horse shows will take place July 7-10 and includes beef, sheep, swine, dairy, goats, ham, lead line and auction shows. The full event schedule can be found at www.johnsoncountyfairassociation.com.

Lafayette County Fair – July 9-14 and July 19

·    This fair is open to all members of the Lafayette County 4-H clubs and FFA association and will be taking place at Fairground Park in Higginsville.

Livingston County Fair – July 8-16

·    The Livingston County Fair will take place at the Litton Agricultural Science Center at the fairgrounds in Chillicothe. The fair is so full, it takes more than a week to complete. For more information, visitextension.missouri.edu/livingston/events.aspx.

Ray County Fair – July 9 and July 15-23

·    This year’s Ray County Fair starts off with a car, truck and motorcycle show followed by a demolition derby on July 9. Horse races at the Richard Swope Memorial Arena will begin the night of July 15 and livestock shows will carry on throughout the week. The fair will be capped off with a grand finale celebration at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 23 at the county fairgrounds.

Saline County Fair – July 19-24

·    The Saline County Fair this year will feature live nighttime concerts, a beer garden, a rodeo and tractor and ATV driving contests. This year’s Saline Fair theme is “Blue Jeans and Country Dreams,” so be sure to wear your favorite pair of Levi’s. Thomas D. Thomas fair rides and shows will be available on the midway throughout the week

Take the time these upcoming weeks to get outside, eat some funnel cake and enjoy some family-friendly time with your local community. County fairs signal that the Missouri State Fair is only a few weeks away, starting on Aug. 11 and running through the 21^st. I’ll be discussing this fun family event in my column in a few weeks.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 

(573) 751-2272, or by fax at (573) 526-7381.

Senator David Pearce serves Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Ray and Saline counties in the 21^st State Senatorial District.