Wrestling, children’s games added to Whitley County Fair line-up

Wrestling and some new children’s games are among the new events being added for this year’s Whitley County Fair, which will take place this week.

Whitley County Fair Board Chairperson Bobby Joe Monhollen said that one of the new additions to this year’s fair is Kentucky Zone Wrestling’s “One Night at the County Fair” that will take place Saturday starting at 5 p.m. at the Whitley County Fairgrounds, which are located at 80 Savoy-Sumer Road in Williamsburg.

The children’s games start about 10 a.m. and will go until probably 2 p.m., Monhollen noted.

“This is a bunch of churches from the local communities coming and setting up and letting kids play all types of different games like ring toss and balloon pop and so on and so forth,” he added.

Monhollen noted that organizers decided to switch things up this year and have the horse show on Friday and the mud bog on Saturday.

“We are hoping that will give the community a little better chance to get out and see the horse show and see the mud bog and go to all the events going on Saturday,” he added.

Monhollen said that organizers were “super pleased” with how well last year’s fair went when it returned after a one-year hiatus.

“I think it really went above all of our standards of how many people were going to be there. We weren’t expecting what we had. I was really pleased with the turnout and I think everybody on the fair board was,” Monhollen noted.

“Everybody is stoked to see how this year’s turnout goes. Hopefully the weather is beautiful and we can get everybody in Whitley County to come out and support us and support the local community.”

There will be a $5 general admission charge on Friday, and a $10 general admission charge on Saturday. Children, who are ages six and under, receive free admission.

Farm and home exhibits

Registration for the farm and home exhibits will take place from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office in Goldbug Wednesday.

Exhibits will be open for free viewing from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the extension office.

Exhibits can be picked up from 10 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 4 p.m. on Monday, July 22.

This includes everything from canned goods to crops, crafts and artwork.

For more information about the farm and home exhibits, contact the cooperative extension office at 549-1430.

Friday events

All events Friday evening and Saturday will take place at the fairgrounds.

Traditionally, one of the fair’s most popular events, the horse show will take place at the fairgrounds starting at 6:30 p.m., and features 20 classes of events plus the championship walking and racking classes.

There is no admission charge for the lead line or stick horse categories, which are both for riders ages 12 and under. Riders must provide their own stick horses.

During intermission, there will be an egg toss competition. There is a $5 entry fee per team, and the winning team will receive $20.

There is a $15 entry fee for the championship walking and championship racking classes. The remainder of the classes have a $10 entry fee.

For more information, contact Sara Meadors at 344-0775, or Megan Moore at 515-0598.

Saturday morning events

Starting at 10 a.m., the corn hole tournament will start. There is a $10 entry fee per team with an 80 percent payback for winners. For more information contact Meadors.

Also at 10 a.m., there will be an antique car and tractor show. Free participation registration will start at 9 a.m.

In addition at 10 a.m. the Highway 204 band will provide musical entertainment.

At 11:30 a.m., there will be a free kids pedal tractor competition.

The pedal tractor race will have two divisions. One is for children ages five and under. The other is for children up to 10 years old.

Awards will be given and pedal tractors will be provided.

Saturday evening events

The fair will culminate Saturday with the wrestling show and mud bog.

Gates open at 4 p.m. for the mud bog. Competition vehicle registration will be from 5 – 7 p.m., and the mud bog will start at 7 p.m.

The mud bog features ATV’s and four-wheel drive vehicles racing through mud-filled pits trying to get through in the fastest time possible.

“The mud bog is an event that is open to anyone in Whitley County that has a truck, four-wheeler, Jeep, car, anything they want to put into the mud, we have a class for it,” Monhollen said.

There are eight divisions and over $2,000 in prize money will be awarded. Entry fees range from $10 – $20 for most divisions. There is a $50 entry fee in the outlaw class division.

In addition, there will be a girls’ mud run and a boys’ mud run with two age groups for each run. Winners will receive $50.

For more information about the mud bog contact Garrett Croley at 304-7330 or Roger Rowe at 215-6395.