Fair mixes both old and new attractions

BENTON COUNTY — While county fair traditions - from livestock shows to beauty pageants - remain essential, organizers of the Benton County Fair see the need for change.

“We try to improve on things a little bit every year,” said Dan Douglas, a member of the fair board. “We had a couple of rough years with weather and we had some carnival problems a couple of years ago. But every year we try to add something, to give people the best experience for their money we can.”

Mary Wall, fair manager, said one of the biggest changes for this year’s fair is having two nights of live entertainment. Wall said Taylor Edwards, a senior at Bentonville High School with a bright future in country music ahead of her, will be the featured attraction on Thursday. Wall said Edwards, who has worked with established recording artists like Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire, will appear at 8 p.m.

Wall said Friday night’s entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m., when In Unison appears on the grandstand west of the midway. At 8 p.m. Friday, the country music band River’s Edge from Tahlequah, Okla., begins a four-hour show.

Tim Craig, fair board chairman, said the River’s Edge concert is sponsored by Cherokee Casino of West Siloam Springs, Okla. Craig said he’sworking on building other corporate sponsorships to bring such attractions to the fair on an annual basis.

“We’re proud that Cherokee Casino stepped up to sponsor that,” Craig said. “We’re sitting right here in the middle of northwest Arkansas and we ought to be able to do that with sponsors.”

Wall said another new event, a tractor pull, is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, just south of the midway. A nearly new event, the Ultimate Challenge Bullriding, returns to the fair at 7 p.m. Saturday after a oneyear absence.

“Last year we didn’t have the bull riding, but this year we brought it back,” Craig said. “I believe it was just a scheduling issue with one of the companies last year.”

Craig said there were two main things he would tell potential fair-goers who might be watching their budgets. First, is the amount of free entertainment that comes with admission to the fairgrounds. Second, is that the fair will offer a dollar ride day Aug. 21.

“We know it’s expensive to go to the fair sometimes, especially families with four or five kids,” he said. “It makes it a little more affordable.”