The 51st annual Daviess County Lions Club Fair kicks off Wednesday and runs through Saturday. In addition to the annual pageants, motorcross, monster trucks, carnival rides and more at the Fairgrounds, organizers are still finding ways to push the needle with new attractions such as mini golf.
After celebrating their semi-centennial years last year, Joan Hayden, one of the fair organizers, said they were excited to keep the energy going for 51.
“You usually don’t find anything that lasts that long. So, for something to continue this long, it’s an awesome feeling. We’re still going to try to bring it back as the biggest family-friendly fair you can find,” Hayden said.
The Fair will kick off Wednesday at 5 p.m. with the 4H/FFA Feeder Calf Show, a petting zoo, pony rides, and a recent fan favorite: first-bite fishing. There will also be food and vendors along with carnival games and rides. Activities will continue until the grounds close for the night.
The action continues on Wednesday when the featured event will be motocross at 7:30 p.m. On Thursday, monster trucks will take center stage at 7:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, the TNT tractor pulls will begin at 7 p.m.
There will also be fireworks on Saturday at 9 p.m. to close out this year’s fair.
Also on the fair calendar are the Daviess County Pageants, which are open to all ages throughout the weekend. Information for registrants can be found on their website here.
The event asks that all guests enter the grounds through any of the three entrances, which can be found here.
Hayden says this year’s total price of hosting the fair is upwards of $120,000, but that’s not stopping them from putting it on.
“It’s gotten so expensive to put on a fair. We depend on our sponsorships to be able to put on the fair. If we don’t have that money in the bank, we won’t be able to have a fair,” she said.
Admission this year is $15 for adults, $10 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5 (though if they want access to carnival rides it will cost $5. Parking costs $5 per vehicle.
