Union County Fair set for next week

Pageant to be held tomorrow

News-Times
News-Times

The Union County Fair’s annual pageant will be held tomorrow, with all other fair festivities kicking off Tuesday.

The pageant and talent competitions will be held at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium tomorrow at 10 a.m. Beth Brumley, special events and marketing coordinator for the fair, said participants will still be able to register tomorrow morning, but additional fees will be included.

Pageants will feature a variety of categories including Little Miss Union County, Miss Union County and Senior Ms. Union County, with categories being broken down into ages.

Brumley said they moved the date of the pageant this year to the Saturday before the fair to see if participation numbers increased. She said so far this year, there has been an rise in the number of participants.

For the fair itself, gate admission ticket sales will start at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, with doors to the carnival opening at 5 p.m.

The carnival will open at 5 p.m. every day of the fair, with the last day being Saturday.

Brumley, who is also on the fair’s executive board, said they are adding more to the fair than in the past.

Brumley said they have been amping up the fair’s kid’s day every year. This year on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., children can ride horses in the barn for free.

Also on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be monster trucks, where children will be allowed to ride and take pictures in. To enter that exhibit, it is $10 per person, but Saturday from 1 p.m-5 p.m., the fair is free for all school-age kids.

“So they can get in the gate for free and then it’s just $10 to ride a monster truck,” Brumley added.

They are also bringing back the character meet and greet Saturday at 2 p.m., which will include characters Woody and Jessie, Moana, the Minions, Smokey the Bear and others. There will also be face painting for children that day.

Brumley said one aspect of the fair they are changing is the nightly entertainment.

“We usually have nightly entertainment, but don’t have a lot of people turn out for it, so we decided to discontinue that, with the exception of Friday night,” she said.

Beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, the New Image Gospel Singers, out of Monroe, will be performing until 9 p.m.

Senior day will be Thursday, which will begin at 10 a.m. with exhibit tours. A free lunch will be provided at 11 a.m., but participants must RSVP by tomorrow. Senior day is for anyone ages 50 or older.

Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the Salvation Army Feed the Needy night, which will allow anyone who brings three canned goods products to receive $3 off tickets at the door.

According to the website, gate admission prices are $5 nightly; Tuesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to close, wristbands are $20. Saturday from 1 p.m to 6 p.m., wristbands are $15 and 6 p.m. to close, wristbands will be $20.

For more information or for a detailed schedule of fair events, including livestock judging, visit unionfairgrounds.com.

Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].

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