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Jacktown Fair to kick off 149th year

By Steve Barrett for The 4 min read
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WIND RIDGE — The nation’s oldest continuing fair will return to Wind Ridge on Tuesday when the 149th annual Jacktown Fair kicks off five days of fair festivities.

Sponsored by the Richhill Agricultural Society, the Jacktown Fair will be held through Saturday and will kick off with the traditional parade, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The theme for this year’s parade is “Treasure the Memories.” Prizes of $100, $75, $50, and $25 will be awarded to winning entries that illustrate the theme. Float entries will be judged on their attractiveness, design, workmanship, use of the theme, originality and other elements.

The parade will feature the reigning Jacktown fair queen, Michaela Hildreth, 18-year-old daughter of Bill and Sharon Hildreth of Nineveh, as well as the two contestants who will be vying for this year’s fair queen title. In addition, state and local dignitaries have been invited to participate in this year’s parade.

Immediately following the parade, a ceremony will be held at the grandstands to crown the 2014 Jacktown Fair Queen. The fair queen competition will be held at 7 p.m. today.

This year’s contestants are Tabatha Schiller, 18-year-old daughter of Frank Vorhes and Suzette Schiller of Wind Ridge; and Taylor Horr, 17-year-old daughter of Mark and Nancy Horr of Holbrook.

The Jacktown Fair Princess Pageant, which was started to help bring new interest to the fair for young girls, also will be held Sunday. Each contestant had to submit a poster advertising an event at the fair, an illustrated drawing, model a sundress with a short introduction, and a three-minute interview session.

The new princess will be crowned by the 2013 fair princess, Emily Cooke, 11-year-old daughter of Karl Cooke of Waynesburg and Katie Cooke of Holbrook.

The pageant will take place along with the Miss Jacktown Fair Queen Pageant in the Commercial Hall at the Jacktown Fairgrounds. The new princess will help represent the fair along with queen throughout the week as well as attend local parades.

This year there are three young girls competing for fair princess: Kaileigh Coneybeer, 9-year-old daughter of Nathaniel Nakonechri and Crystal Crawford of Holbrook; Jordan Karvan, 10-year-old daughter of Renee Morris and Daniel Karvan of Wind Ridge; and Veronica Lasko, 8-year-old daughter of Tracey Stewart and Michael Lasko.

This year’s fair will once again offer a wide array of entertainment, rides, food and fun for the whole family.

Returning this year will be the annual “Jacktown Fair Idol” competition, a take-off on the “American Idol” television series. The preliminary Idol competition will take place Wednesday and Thursday, and the finals will be held on Friday.

While some long-running events are traditional favorites that have been around almost as long as the fair itself, each year brings some new shows or events as well.

The official opening day of the fair will feature a house-decorating contest at 3:30 p.m., as well as a Classic Memories show and the “UTV Tough Side-By-Side” contest, both starting at 8 p.m.

Wednesday will be Youth Night, in which all children younger than age 14 will receive free admission and rides from 6-11:30 p.m.

The day also will feature an eating contest at 7 p.m. and the “Tuff Truck” contest and the first round of the “Idol” contest, both beginning at 8 p.m.

Thursday will be Senior Citizens’ Day, and will feature bingo at 2 p.m., a tractor and truck pull at 7 p.m., and karaoke and the second round of the “Idol” contest, both beginning at 8 p.m.

On Friday, there will be a livestock-judging contest and a tractor-driving contest, a rabbit and goat sale and Power Pulling Productions at 7 p.m., and music by the “Two Peas in a Pod” band and the “Idol” contest finals at 8 p.m. The evening will feature fireworks at 9.

Activities on Saturday will include the Stihl Pro Carvers Demonstration and Sale at 6 p.m.; a musical performance by Sandy Lusco Huffman at 6:30 p.m.; a musical performance by the “Cross Vision” band at 7 p.m.; a demolition derby by Thomas Motorsports LLC at 8 p.m.; and a performance by “The Hillbilly Way Band” at 8:30 p.m.

Other fair events throughout the week include a community worship service at 10 a.m. today, as well as judging for rabbits, horses, beef cattle, goats, sheep, dairy cattle and more throughout the week.

And, Stihl Pro Carvers will be providing woodcarving demonstrations all week. Mechanical bull rides will be available throughout the week

Admission to the fair is free onto the fairgrounds, with a $10 ticket price for rides.

Prices vary for special events held throughout the week at the upper and lower grandstands.

For more information on ticket prices or anything pertaining to thefair, visit the fair’s website, www.jacktownfair.org.

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