Join the fun at the Allamakee County Fair this week


Parmalee ... Submitted photo.

Caylee Hammack ... Submitted photo.

Midwest Rides Carnival ... Submitted photo

Country music group Parmalee to headline Friday's grandstand; Midwest Rides to provide midway carnival rides

This week, July 17-21,  the 166th Allamakee County Fair will be held for all to enjoy at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. A wide variety of entertainment is in place to headline this year’s fair at the grandstand, along with a great deal of other activities for everyone to enjoy each and every day throughout the five-day event.

GRANDSTAND TO FEATURE STAR POWER AND HORSE POWER

Kicking off this year’s grandstand entertainment line-up Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. will be a Truck and Tractor Pull featuring local trucks and tractors as well as some powered-up regional competitors in a variety of high-revving classes.

A new twist to a dirt racing favorite will be the ATV/UTV Off-Road Competition Thursday, July 18, beginning at 7 p.m. Organized by the Allamakee County ATV/UTV Club, a combined vehicle rodeo and timed obstacle course event will match up two riders at different points on the dirt course, with winners being determined by elimination based on time. The course will accommodate all skill levels, with competition being split between sport and utility classes.

The Friday evening, July 19 music performance in the grandstand will feature some recent award-winning country music familiarity along with an up and coming artist, also beginning at 7 p.m. With six songs that have landed in the Billboard Top 40 over the last few years, the country music group Parmalee will be headlining that Friday show after an opening performance by rising star Caylee Hammack.

A modern country act hailing from Ellaville, GA, Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Caylee Hammack will initially fire up the crowd with her self-described “hippie in a hillbilly town” stage presence. Her self-written songs tell her own life story, such as her recently released single “Family Tree”.

With their name paying tribute to the town where the band started, Parmele, NC, Parmalee will headline Friday’s grandstand performance. First forming in 2001, the band not only finally broke through on to the Billboard Country Top 40 but soared all the way to its pinnacle with its 2013 release, “Carolina,” which reached Platinum-certified status. Two more songs from their debut album also made their way into the Billboard Top 10, including “Close Your Eyes” and “Already Callin’ You Mine”. Their second album also produced Billboard Top 40 hits more recently, including “Roots” and “Sunday Morning”.

The power and grace of a full-blown rodeo show will return to the grandstand Saturday, July 20 at 6 p.m. as Iowa-based Rogue Rodeo from Albia will bring back such events as Bareback Riding, Calf Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Barrel Racing, Bull Riding and Mutton Bustin’ for the youngsters. For further details on Rogue Rodeo or to register for any of the events, visit www.roguerodeo.com.

The culminating grandstand event Sunday afternoon, July 21 will feature even more action, as area drivers will race their trucks to the limit on a Tough Truck obstacle course filled with mud, jumps, hills and thrills, beginning at 1 p.m.

GRANDSTAND PASSES ONLINE

The ability to purchase grandstand tickets online is available for this season's grandstand performances as well. The fair's webpage, www.allamakeecountyfair.org, has a "Buy Tickets" ticket link that will take online purchasers through a check-out process. Tickets for the grandstand events can be purchased for all five evenings of grandstand entertainment at this year's fair, or for just a single event. Those tickets can then be picked up at the "will call" window at the Fair Office building next to the Fairgrounds Pavilion.

Advance tickets for grandstand events can also be purchased in Waukon at the Allamakee County ISU Extension office, Waukon State Bank, Freedom Bank in Waukon and Postville, Kerndt Brothers Bank in Waukon and Lansing, Luana Savings Bank, Village Farm & Home in Waukon and Lansing, Clark Tire Pros in Waukon and Kious Kountry in Waukon. Tickets can also be purchased during the fair at the Fair Office or at the grandstand.

QUEEN PAGEANT KICKS IT OFF

The Allamakee County Fair Queen Pageant will kick off this year's fair Tuesday evening, July 16, beginning at 7 p.m., and will take place in the Fairgrounds Pavilion. The overall event will begin with presentations by local high school FFA chapter members and 4-H Expressions Day winners advancing on to the Iowa State Fair. This year's three Fair Queen candidates - Diana Davison, Cayla Nolting and Soraya Reyes - will then take the spotlight to determine who will wear the crown of the 2019 Allamakee County Fair Queen.

FREE DAILY ENTERTAINMENT

In addition to the grandstand attractions, there will also be a wide variety of free entertainment performances and activities throughout this year’s fair for all to enjoy. Breakfast at the Fair will be served Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by various community groups in the Appreciation Building from 7-9:30 a.m. for a free will donation.

Every day of the fair, Wednesday through Sunday, Robey Memorial Library will feature its Story Walk from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, 1-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 12-4 p.m. Sunday. Youth and adults can read a popular children’s story each of those days by walking their way around the fairgrounds, beginning at the Robey Memorial Library booth in the Fairgounds Pavilion.

A new activity the first four days of the fair will feature a Live Butterfly Exhibit, “The Butterfly Effects,” across from the main entrance to the Fairgrounds Pavilion. Fair-goers can use a supplied feeding stick to feed up to five different species of butterflies while learning more about them Wednesday from 5-9 p.m., and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 12 noon-9 p.m.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will also feature something else new this year, as “The Moogician” will perform three to four shows in the Green Commercial Building at various times. Also in the Green Commercial Building Thursday-Saturday, face painting will be taking place from 12-6 p.m. and balloon art and clowns will be available to enjoy from 1-5 p.m.

Reading with Royalty will take place at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, 2:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Allamakee County Fair 2018 Queen Maddie Ellingson and reigning Allamakee County Dairy Princess Faith Palmer will be among some of those royal readers in the Open Exhibit Building.

The Open Exhibit Building will be overflowing with events and activities each day of the fair, the following of which require registration at www.allamakeecountyfair.org and may require a small fee for participation. A Balloon Art Making Class (for ages 6-10) will be offered Thursday and Friday at 11 a.m. each of those two days. Thursday will also feature Kids Painting with Lori Ross at 3 p.m. and Adult Painting & Wine Class at 6 p.m., with Friday’s activities including a Farm Fairy Garden Workshop at 10 a.m., a Canvas Tape Painting Class at 12:30 p.m. and a Wood Sign Making Class at 3 p.m. Saturday will feature a Beginners Yoga Class at 8:30 a.m., a CPR/Stop the Bleed workshop from 4-5:30 p.m. and a Beginners Quilting Class at 5:30 p.m., with Sunday’s activities including a Terrarium Making Class at 12:30 p.m. and a Leather Earring Making Class at 2:30 p.m. Again, these previously mentioned activities require pre-registration, which can be done at www.allamakeecountyfair.org under the “Open Class Events” tab at the top of the website homepage.

Additional activities taking place in the Open Exhibit Building that do not require registration or a participation fee include a Pollinators Habitat Presentation at 1 p.m. Thursday. Contestants can drop off their pretty or ugly decorated cake from 4:30-5 p.m. Thursday for the Cake Decorating Contest judging that will take place at 6 p.m., with a Cake Pop demonstration being held at 5 p.m.

Friday’s free activities in the Open Exhibit Building will include a Children’s Cookie Decorating Event at 1 p.m. and a discussion about honey bees and the honey industry, also at 1 p.m., by 2019 Iowa Honey Bee Queen Brooklyn Pardall. Saturday’s Open Exhibit Building sessions will include a Jewelry Stamping Demonstration at 11 a.m. and a Homemade Salsa Contest will receive entries at 2:30 p.m. with judging taking place from 3-5 p.m. A Paint Creek Soap Demonstration will wrap up the offerings in the Open Exhibit Building Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

In addition to all the other activities being offered at this year’s fair, the Ag Olympics, a timed obstacle relay race using various items found on the farm and open to youth and area business "celebrities", takes place in the Show Barn Thursday, July 18 at 5 p.m. A kids pedal tractor race will take place at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Fairgrounds Pavilion Friday, July 19. Lil’ Dale and the Legends will also be providing free entertainment Sunday, July 21 from 12-4 p.m. in the Green Commercial Building.

FRIDAY IS KID'S DAY AT THE FAIR

Friday, July 19 is Kid’s Day at the fair and will feature a wide variety of free activities behind the Fair Office in the Appreciation Building from 12-4 p.m. Some of those activities will include a LEGO® Contest, paper rockets, activities with the Allamakee County Conservation Department, wellness activities with local first responders, a sand box and much more.

PROJECTS AND LIVESTOCK SHOWS

Along with the fun and thrills of this year’s entertainment line-up, the hard work and dedication of county youth and other exhibitors will be on display each and every day of the 2019 Allamakee County Fair. The 4-H and Open Exhibit buildings on the grounds will house the efforts of local exhibitors of all ages in a wide variety of creative, useful interests.

Daily animal shows and judging begin Thursday, July 18 with the Swine Judging at 8 a.m. and Sheep Judging at 1 p.m., with a 3 p.m. Clover Kid Pet Show taking place in the Swine Arena. Friday, July 19 will feature the Beef Judging at 9 a.m. and Rabbit Judging at 3 p.m., with Poultry Judging to follow the Rabbit show. Dairy cattle and goats will be judged Saturday morning, July 20 at 8:30 a.m., with the Pee Wee Dairy Show at 2:30 p.m. and a Dog Show at 4 p.m. that afternoon. Sunday morning, July 21 will wrap up the livestock shows with the Horse Judging, beginning at 9 a.m.

The traditional appreciation supper and 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction will take place Sunday afternoon in the Show Barn. The supper begins at 4 p.m., with the auction getting underway at 5 p.m.

NEW MIDWAY CARNIVAL THIS YEAR

The midway at the Allamakee County Fair will be new to the community this year and features a full array of rides, games and carnival food provided by Midwest Rides, the same carnival provider for the Houston County Fair in Caledonia, MN and at the Fayette County Fair in West Union. Rides will be in operation from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 12-4 p.m. and again from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sunday. Arm bands allowing a four-hour ride session will be available for purchase, as will a Mega Band that allows rides during the entire fair.

Further event details and even more schedule and other information about the 2019 Allamakee County Fair can be found in the special publication posted at www.waukonstandard.com and inserted in last week's (July 10) issue of The Standard, or at www.allamakeecountyfair.org.