ONTARIO – Attendance to the Malheur County Fair this year will be free and the renowned local event will kick off Tuesday, July 30, and run to Saturday, Aug. 3.
The fair will have new features, including more vendors than in the past and a new building to house animals.
The fair hours are Tuesday, July 30, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight.
The free attendance decision was made to boost the overall numbers of people at the event, said Amy Wood, Malheur County Fairgrounds manager.
“We are trying to get people to come back again,” said Wood.
Wood said attendance in the past has slipped slightly but she said this year’s edition of the county event will feature plenty of fun.
Last year, she said, just over 9,000 people attended the fair.
Wood said more than 50 vendors will be on hand for the fair, selling everything from candles to sheds.
The fair will open with one major project complete. The reconstruction of Building I at the fairgrounds – at the southern end of the fairgrounds near the south gate – was recently finished. The building will provide overflow space for animals.
The Malheur County Fair Board used a federal grant to pay for the project. The original building was significantly damaged during a series of severe snowstorms in 2017.
The fair will also showcase a carnival this year, said Wood. Residents can buy two types of tickets for the carnival before the fair at Red Apple Marketplace in Ontario. A daily pass wristband costs $35 and an unlimited, five-day pass called a Golden Ticket costs $90.
The tickets are available for presale until Monday, July 29. The Golden Ticket pass is available only from Red Apple Marketplace. The daily carnival band is also available at the fair but will cost $45.
The fair will also feature an Idaho Cowboy Association sanctioned rodeo. The rodeo begins Thursday, Aug. 1, with slack. On Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday Aug. 3, the event begins at 7 p.m. with pre-rodeo action and the rodeo starts at 8 p.m.
The cost for the rodeo is $10 for adults and $6 for children. Those under 5 get in for free.
There will also be plenty of entertainment for fair-goers.
Up-and-coming country singer Olivia Harms will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 30. The Disarrays, a four-piece rock band, will perform Thursday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. The James Howard Band, a group that plays blues and rock music, will be in concert Friday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.
The Boise band Jimmy River and the Groovers will hit the stage, Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m.
Corbin Maxey, a Boise State University graduate and nationally recognized animal expert, will bring his exotic wildlife to the fair Friday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The popular Water Seed Flickin’ contest, sponsored by the Ontario Kiwanis Club, returns for another year at the fair. The contest begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at the Loafing Shed.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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