Decades-Long Tradition Continues
Boyd County Fair Kicks Off this Weekend
Grace Phillips
The Ashland Beacon
The summer of 1991 was the first time Boyd County had a county fair in more than three decades. Thirty-two years later, the dream that began in a borrowed field is a reality and growing every year. This year’s Boyd County Fair kicks off with a flurry of activity this weekend, August 18th & 19th and continues next week on August 22nd – 26th.
Ellen Keaton, Fair President explained, “We always start with a pre-fair celebration the weekend before the fair starts. This year is no different. We are so excited to kick off our fair with one of the newest crazes around…a Quarter Auction. It is going to be a wonderful night of fun. Admission is $5 and gets you a bidding paddle. You will bid from one to four quarters on an item, raise your number paddle, and if your number is drawn…you win the item for small change.” She went on to say that this is the short version of how the auction works and more information is on their website. Also on Friday night, there is the Speed Show in the horse arena.
Saturday, August 19th is packed with events running from 10 a.m. until midnight or later. Events include: Open Youth Livestock Show, Dog Show, Craft and Vendor Show from 2-8 p.m., the Boyd County Fair Open Horse Show and Tristate MX Motocross. That is just the beginning!
The full fair, complete with carnival rides, will begin on Tuesday, August 22nd and run through Saturday, August 26th. The events get bigger and bigger as the week progresses. There will be livestock shows, horse shows, a children’s pageant and FTC Wrestling during the week. New this year will be Carter County Axes—an axe throwing event, Peanut the Clown and his balloons each day, and The Barker Family Animal Show and Petting Zoo on Saturday. All these special events are included in the fair admission price as well as the carnival rides.
“We are so excited about our entertainment lineup this year.” Keaton stated, “Thursday, Gospel Night, features the Browders. They are rapidly becoming one of Christian music’s most acclaimed groups. The family band’s album, Time Machine, yielded a record-breaking seven #1 hits. The current CD includes the #1 song, “You’re Not In This Alone” and the current single, “When God Says Wait”.
Keaton continued, “We are very excited to bring Bluegrass music back to the fair this year with special guest Hammertowne on Friday night.” Hammertowne creates their hard-driving sound with one foot in the traditional arena and the other in the progressive arena, which is reflected in their original songs they write and perform. The music continues on Saturday with Lee Dean as Frank Sinatra and Elvis and Maddox Hale.
Now, if music or animals are a little too tame for you…the last two nights of the fair bring all the thrills and excitement you will need. The Demolition Derby crashes into the motorsports arena on Friday night followed by a second night of Tristate MX on Saturday.
“The last event of the 2023 fair will be where the first one was held…in the horse arena featuring the King Brothers Rodeo.” Keaton continued, “The King Brother’s Rodeo is the oldest rodeo company in America and now spans four generations. It is two hours of thrills, danger and laughter. It’s crazy to watch the riders come out on those huge bulls just hoping to hold on for eight seconds…very few make it. I guess maybe I SHOULD say the riders have to be crazy to even try!”
The Boyd County Fair is a 501c3 nonprofit that is run totally by volunteers. Brenda Phelps told us that one of the biggest hurdles the fair faces each year is a lack of volunteers. “To put on a fair of this size, it takes so many people. We struggle each year to have enough volunteers in place to make the fair flow smoothly.” Christy Utley who has been with the fair for the past seven years went on to say, “It’s a crazy week and everyone is tired at the end of the day, but it is also very rewarding to see all the smiling faces and a successful event.” If anyone is interested in being a volunteer for a day or the entire week, they should call the fair at 606.585.0514.
The fair could not operate each year without the donations from local businesses. Be sure to check out the complete list of sponsors on the fair’s website, and let them know you appreciate their support of our youth and community.
The fair gates will open at 4 p.m. and the rides at 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Admission to the fair this year is $10 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and $12 on Friday and Saturday with a $1 per car parking fee. Due to the ride manufacturer’s guidelines, children under 36” tall are unable to ride and will be free. The Boyd County Fair is a pay-one-price fair meaning all events and carnival rides are included with paid admission to the fair.
Friday and Saturday nights typically have the largest attendance. Please plan to arrive early. Complete information on all events can be found at boydcountyfair.com or follow them on their Facebook page.
