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The Quay County Fair this week is experiencing an increase in the number of livestock exhibitors.
In a phone interview on Friday, Dallas Dowell, the president of the fair board, mentioned that the number of livestock exhibitors is slightly higher overall.
Dowell stated that the fair made a decision in 2021 to allow livestock exhibitors as young as 6 years old, which has contributed to the increase in numbers this year. The previous minimum age requirement was 9.
“This year, all participants with a large animal (goat, sheep, hog, steer) are eligible to participate in the sale,” he said regarding the latest change. “We implemented this change in the hopes of increasing the participation.”
He also mentioned that 37 children have already registered for the auction, which starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday and is traditionally the highlight of the fair.
Additionally, a flea market will be introduced during the fair on Friday and Saturday. Alan Daugherty is organizing this event to help boost the fair’s attendance.
However, there will not be a carnival at the fair. The Quay County Fair hasn’t hosted a carnival since 2019 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many carnival operators went out of business during COVID,” Dowell explained. “There are fewer carnivals available, and it’s challenging for us to attract them to our small venue.”
Nevertheless, Dowell mentioned that the fair board has not given up on the possibility of hosting a carnival in the future.
“We continue to make efforts, but so far we haven’t been successful,” he said. “We don’t have reliable contacts with carnival operators at the moment.”
The fair will start at 5 p.m. on Wednesday with the shepherd’s lead competition in the show arena. The swine shows will follow at 6 p.m., followed by the catch-a-calf scramble.
The fair will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday and the following days, with the sheep and goat showmanship clinic beginning an hour later. The goat and lamb shows will commence at 6 p.m.
On Friday, the rabbit show will start at 9 a.m., followed by the poultry show at 11 a.m. A watermelon feed is scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The heifer and steer shows will take place after another catch-a-calf show at 5 p.m.
Saturday will feature the Itty-Bitty Rodeo at 11 a.m., the pet parade at noon, the horseshoe pitching contest at 1 p.m., and the scavenger hunt at 1:30 p.m.
The fair will close at 9 p.m. after the Junior Livestock Auction.
