2017 Fulton County Fair—“Country Pride – County Wide” July 24-29
The official dates of the 2017 Fulton County Fair are July 24-29 but there is an early event on July 22. Fair officials have a week filled with exhibits, contests, and events for area residents. It will run through Saturday, July 29 at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, Civic Center Road, Salem, Arkansas. Dairy Queen of Salem and Tri-County Farm and Ranch Supply of Ash Flat are the “Presenting Sponsors” and invites everyone to be a part of the fair. “County Pride-County Wide” is the theme for the 2017 fair.
All entries are due by July 15th including creative arts, livestock, poultry and rabbits, horses, talent, beauty pageant and photogenic and horse show queen. Creative arts, livestock, poultry and rabbits and horses can be made online at www.fultoncountyfair.org. Entry forms for talent, pageants and horse show queen are available on the website but the entry form must be submitted in “hard copy” format along with the entry fees.
The fair will open on July 22 with the Fulton County Junior Fair Queen and Fulton County Fair Queen Pageants and Youth Talent Contest. Arkansas State University of Mountain Home will award the Fulton County Fair Queen a $500 tuition scholarship for use during the 2017-18 school year. Carter’s Jewell Chest of Mountain Home is providing beautiful full crowns for the Fulton County Junior Fair Queen and Fulton County Fair Queen. Expressions Salon by Dena is providing custom queen sashes for the two queens. The pageant and talent contest will start at 7:00 p.m. in the Salem Civic Center.
All Creative Arts exhibits including flowers, horticulture and baked items will check-in on Monday, July 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The exhibits will be judged on Tuesday and the exhibit building will open for public viewing at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Entries for the King Arthur Flour Baking Contest, The Pacesetting Times “This is Fulton County” Photography Contest, the Salem VFW Post 9777 Auxiliary Patriotic Art Contest, and the Sew with Cotton Quilting Contest are due on Monday and will be judged on Tuesday.
Commercial exhibits check in from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and will be located in the Salem Civic Center and will remain in place through Saturday.
Tuesday is Shaver Plumbing and Hardware Day at the Fair and the annual Fair Horse Show is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fairgrounds Arena. The Horse Show Queen’s Contest will be held in conjunction with the horse show and a new Queen, Junior Queen and Princess will be crowned. For more information on the horse show, contact Christi at 870-371-0660 or Dustin at 417-293-0890.
The new Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Tiny Tot Girl, Tiny Tot Boy and Little Miss will be named on Tuesday night. All contestants will be eligible to compete in the district pageants on September 29 in Melbourne.
Wednesday is FNBC Community Bankers Day at the Fair and the day will start with Veterans Day. All veterans and their spouses or caregivers are invited to attend a program planned in their honor by FNBC, Salem VFW Post 9777, and fair officials. The program will start at 10:30 a.m. Desert Storm/Desert Shield veterans will be given special recognition. Elesha Granniss, District 3 Veterans Service Officer for the Ark. Dept. of Veterans Affairs will give an update on Veterans benefits. State Representative Scott Baltz will be the featured speaker. FNBC will provide lunch and the Salem VFW Post 9777 Auxiliary will provide dessert. The day will end with games and door prizes donated by the VFW Auxiliary members. Call the Fulton County Fair office at 870-895-5565 and let them know if you or have a family member that is a Desert Storm/Desert Shield Veteran.
The Beta Sigma Phi Pie Baking Contest will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday and will have $240 in added money for the best pie for youth and adult divisions. Any type of pie can be entered. Photos will be made of all the entries to be displayed and the pies will be sold after judging with the funds from the sale of pies going to the fair scholarship fund.
Wednesday is livestock check-in day and this includes poultry and rabbits. Arkansas fair exhibition laws require that all poultry exhibits must have a negative Pullorum test within ninety (90) days of entry to the fairgrounds. Poultry testers will be at the pavilion at the Salem City Park on Civic Center Road to do testing. Exhibitors whose last name starts with A-M should be there between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. and exhibitors whose last name starts with N-Z should check-in between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. There will be no charge for the test.
All other livestock, including beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats, swine and rabbits, will check in from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Come out and support the exhibitors and let them know you appreciate all of the hard work that goes into exhibiting at a fair.
Johnson Brothers Amusements of El Dorado Arkansas will return to the Fulton County Fair this year with new rides. They will open at 6:00 pm on Wednesday night with rides and amusement booths. Armbands will be honored on each night from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Reduced price armband tickets are available at Shaver Plumbing and Hardware, FNBC Community Bank, Bank of Salem, North Arkansas Electric, and Hill’s Auto Sales in Salem and Tri-County Farm and Ranch Supply in Ash Flat. Advance armband tickets are $15.00 and they will be $20.00 if purchased on the fairgrounds after the carnival opens. Tickets are also available at the Fulton County Fair Office during regular office hours. Armbands can be used Wednesday-Saturday and are good from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Hall Rodeo, LLC returns to the Fulton County Fair with an ACA sanctioned rodeo on Wednesday and Thursday nights. FNBC Community Bankers, CenturyLink and Freedom Ford will sponsor the Wednesday night rodeo and Bank of Salem, CenturyLink and Freedom Ford will sponsor the Thursday night rodeo. Rodeo action will get underway at 8:00 p.m. each night. Cline Hall is a popular area rodeo producer and promises two nights of fast paced rodeo action. Call Hall 501-412-3644 for more information and to enter.
Thursday is Bank of Salem Day at the Fair and events start with Senior Day. This event is for all seniors, age 60 and older, and is sponsored by the Bank of Salem and White River Area Agency on Aging. Senior Day starts at 10:00 a.m. and will feature free admission, entertainment, a free BBQ lunch, games, golf cart tours of the livestock exhibits, and goodie bags and door prizes from area businesses. The medical community will showcase their services and have health screenings available throughout the day.
Thursday is filled with a day of judging at the fair. Livestock judging will start at 8:00 a.m. with swine judging. Rabbit showmanship and judging will start at 10:00 a.m. and Goat and Sheep judging starts at 11:00 a.m. Poultry showmanship and judging is at 1:00 p.m.
The final night of the Beauty Pageants will be held Thursday night at 7:00 pm in the Salem Civic Center. A new Petite Miss, Junior Miss and Young Miss Fulton County will be crowned. All contestants will be eligible to advance to the district pageant competition on September 30 at Ozarka College in Melbourne.
Friday is North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Day at the Fair. and will start with beef and dairy cattle judging at 9:00 a.m. in the Everett Show Arena. First Community Bank will be sponsoring the Beef and Dairy shows and will provide awards for the Supreme Beef Animals and Out-of-County Showmanship contest.
Kid’s Day will be held on Friday and it will start 10:00 a.m. at the Salem Civic Center. North Arkansas Electric will have a magician there and the he will be followed by a program from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, activity stations, door prizes, and Salem FCCLA students will be doing face painting. The Fulton County Farm Bureau will have the “Ag In The Classroom” trailer and the Viola Fire Department will have the Fire Safety House and will be doing a fire safety program. The Glencoe Fire Department will bring their big fire truck for the children. North Arkansas Electric will provide lunch for kids and their parents or group chaperones. Salem VFW Post 9777 will be serving snow cones. Pre-registration is encouraged to plan for the meal. Contact the Fulton County Fair Office at 870-895-5565 to pre-register.
Friday night is the Annual Fulton County Fair Truck Pull sponsored by North Arkansas Electric, Hill’s Auto Sales, Salem Auto Supply, and Leon’s Automotive. It will start at 7:00 p.m. in the fairgrounds arena with 11 classes for 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive trucks. Rules and classes are available on the Draggin Wagon website at www.dwpainc.com. For more information call Michael Roork at 870-371-0108 or contact Nikki at 417-259-1506.
Saturday is Hill’s Auto Sales Day at the Fair. The Hickinbotham-Miller Exhibit Building will open at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday with photos of the Creative Arts Grand Champion Winners scheduled at 1:00 p.m. Grand Champion Poultry and Rabbit winners will have photos immediately following the Creative Arts winners.
The Junior Livestock Premium and the Cookie Jar Scholarship Auction will start at 4 p.m. in the Everett Show Arena. The Fulton County Fair Foundation will award seven $1000 scholarships to fair exhibitors who graduated from high school in May. 4-H and FFA members from Fulton County will offer goats, market hogs, calves, rabbits and the two top pens of pullets from the 4-H Poultry Chain for sale. Prior to the sale of animals, the Cookie Jar Scholarship Auction will be held. Exhibitors will donate decorated cookie jars for the auction. Funds from the cookie jar sale will be used for scholarships for graduating seniors who are active in the county, district and state fair. The Scholarship Auction and the Junior Premium Sale will be conducted by Perryman & Perryman Auction Company. Business owners and individuals are encouraged to support the youth involved in the fair by attending the sale and bidding. Persons who cannot attend the auctions can support the scholarship program and the Junior Livestock by making a cash donation. Contact the fair office or Auctioneer Danny Perryman, 870.458.2020, for information.
The Hill’s Auto Sales and Dillard and Dillard Motor Company, the local Intimidator 4 x 4 vehicle dealer, will sponsor the ATV Rodeo at 6:00 p.m. in the arena. There will be classes for Pee Wee (90cc and Under and age 10 and under), Youth (age 11-15) and classes for Powder Puff, Dirt Bike, Utility Quad, Side by Side, 2 Stroke Quad, 400cc 4 Stroke Quad, and 450cc 4 Stroke Quad as well as an Open Class. Trophies are provided by Dawson Septic Tank Service and Viola Hardware will be awarded to the PeeWee and Youth classes and there will be a 50% Payback. For more information on the ATV Rodeo contact Mike at 417-270-1750.
Fair officials invite you to attend the 98th Annual Fulton County Fair July 24 – 29 in Salem Arkansas. Gate admission will cover all events except the carnival and admission is $6.00 for teens and adults, $4.00 for youth age 6-12 and under 6 is free. Parking is free. For more information on the Fulton County fair call 870-895-5565. Information on all fair events is available online at www.fultoncountyfair.org.
