Fulton County Fair – “Making Lifetime Memories”
The 99th Annual Fulton County Fair will get underway on Saturday, July 21 with the Fulton County Fair Queen, Junior Fair Queen and Youth Talent Contest. The pageants and talent contest are open to the public at 7:00 p.m. in the Salem Civic Center. Arkansas State University of Mountain Home will award the Fulton County Fair Queen a $500 tuition scholarship for use during the 2018-19 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. Winners will represent Fulton County in the Arkansas State Fair Queen Pageant in Little Rock in October and all contestants, except the winners, are eligible to enter the North Central Ark. District Fair Queen Pageants on September 29 at Melbourne.
The fair officially opens on July 23 and fair officials have a week filled with exhibits, contests, and events for area residents. It will run through Saturday, July 28 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 they invite everyone to be a part of the fair. “Making Lifetime Memories” is the theme for the 2018 fair.
All Creative Arts exhibits including flowers, horticulture and baked items will check-in on Monday, July 23 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, and the Salem VFW Post 9777 Auxiliary Patriotic Art Contest are due on Monday and will be judged on Tuesday.
Hall Rodeo LLC will sponsor Roping (Round Robin) in the arena on Monday night starting at 8:00 p.m.Contact Cline Hall for information and to enter.
Commercial exhibits check in from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday 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. Two new Horsemanship Awards will be presented to the junior exhibitor who earns the most points in the Horse Show. For information on the horse show, contact Christi at 870-371-0660 or Dustin at 417-293-0890.
A new Baby Girl, Baby Boy, Tiny Tot Girl, Tiny Tot Boy and Little Miss Fulton County will be named on Tuesday night. All contestants in the youth pageants will be eligible to compete in the district pageants on September 28 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. Female Veterans will be given special recognition during the program. Keynote Speaker is Col (Ret) Anita Deason, Advisor for Veterans Affairs from Representative John Boozman’s Office.. 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. If you know of a female veteran, call the Fulton County Fair Office and register them for the Recognition Program.
The Beta Sigma Phi Pie Baking Contest will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday and will have $300 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 cattle and hogs must have health papers before entering the fairgrounds and goats must have Scrapie Tag numbers. 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. .
Johnson Brothers Amusements will bring the midway to the fair again this year with some 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 $20.00 and they will be $25.00 if purchased on the fairgrounds after the carnival opens. Tickets are also available at the Fulton County Fair Office during regular office hours
Hall Rodeo, LLC returns to the Fulton County Fair with an ACA sanctioned rodeo on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Bank of Salem, FNBC Community Bankers, Freedom Ford, United Country Moody Realty, and Main Street Tire and Lube will sponsor the two-night 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 excitement for rodeo fans. Call Hall 501-412-3644 for more information and to enter.
Thursday is Bank of Salem Day at the Fairand 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. Mark Montgomery, CEO of the Bank of Salem, and Fulton County Sheriff Al Roork will present a program on Fraud Prevention for Seniors. 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. Swine judging will start at 8:00 a.m.Rabbit showmanship and judging will start at 10:00 a.m. and Poultry showmanship and judging will follow the Rabbit Judging. Sheep and Goats judging is at 11:30 sponsored by Salem Auto Supply.
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 at Melbourne in September.
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 and Mammoth Spring Dental Clinic will sponsor the cattle show. Special awards for the shows will be presented by Leslie Drug, First Community Bank, Peaceful River Farm at Evening Shade…
Kid’s Day will be held on Friday in the Salem Civic Center. Registration is from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. North Arkansas Electric will have a magician there and the he will be followed by activity stations from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Viola Fire Department, Glencoe-Agnos Fire Department, and 1stChoice Health Care.. There will be lots of door prizes, and Salem FCCLA students will be doing face painting. The Fulton County Farm Bureau will have the “Ag In The Classroom” trailer at Kid’s Day again this year. North Arkansas Electric will provide lunch for kids and their parents or group chaperones. Salem VFW Post 9777 will be serving snow cones at the close of the program. Pre-registration is encouraged to plan for the meal. Contact the Fulton County Fair Office at 870-895-5565 to pre-register.
Friday night KWOZ Radio of Batesville/Mt. View and Outlaw 106.5 radio of Horseshoe Bend will present Lockhouse Orchestra in concert at the fair. Other sponsors are Dr. David Kauffman, Dillard & Dillard Motor Company (Intimidator), and Welch, Couch and Co. PA. The show will start at 7:30 p.m.. Lockhouse Orchestra is a popular area band that performs a variety of music include Motown, Blues, Southern Rock and the music of. the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival , Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and many others. The concert is free with a regular gate admission. In addition to the free concert on Friday night First Community Bank and the Fulton County Fair will sponsor a food drive for the Backpack programs in the three schools in Fulton County. Those attending the fair will receive a reduced gate admission with the donation of a “Kid Friendly” food or cash donation for the backpack programs. Others who have partnered with First Community Bank and the Fulton County Fair are Heart of the Ozarks United Way, Areawide Media, and Salem VFW Post 9777. Donations are being accepted at the Friday night bingo at the Salem VFW Post in Salem at the fairgrounds during fair week. Cash donations may be left at the Fulton County Fair Office, Fulton County Judge’s Office and at the Highland/Ash Flat Branch of First Community Bank.
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 five $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.
Saturday night is the Annual Fulton County Fair Truck Pull sponsored by Hill’s Auto Sales, Salem Auto Supply, Leon’s Automotive, and Main Street Tire and Lube.. 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.
Fair officials invite you to attend the 99thAnnual 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 or on the fair Facebook page.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.