Nearly 25,000 people turned out for the 78th Jefferson County Fair held last week, once again breaking attendance records for the event, said Randy Starkey, the fair chairperson.
The fair was held July 18-21 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro and included carnival rides, motor sports competitions, live music and much more.
“We had a great turnout,” Starkey said. “I’d say on Saturday night we had a record crowd for the truck pull; about 9,000 was our estimate for the night. There was a large crowd Sunday for the demolition derby.”
Good weather helped, he said.
The 2023 fair also drew well, but storms wiped out the first night of that year’s event.
“We had no rain at all this time,” Starkey said.
He said he believes adding new activities has been a key to increasing the public’s interest in the fair in recent years.
“Each year, we add a few more vendors,” he said. “Wade Shows, the carnival ride provider, added a couple of more rides. (The carnival area) was packed the whole weekend. We added pig races this year. It went over well.
“We have added more and more things for people to see, and that’s why we get more people each time.”
The fair offered nine live musical acts over its four days, including the Broseph Tucker Band and Russ Wellington-Cody Goggin on July 18; Parmalee, Borderline and Scott Kemp on July 19; Lick Creek and Dawn Turlington on July 20; and Bill Scott and Vince Martin on July 21.
“(All the music) went great,” Starkey said.
The July 21 festivities included Kids’ Day events with crafts, games, water play, inflatables and a visit from Wildlife Command Center. Other children’s activities included a petting zoo, face painting, pony rides and games.
The fair also included a cattle show and auction sponsored by the Jefferson County 4H Club and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.
The Hillsboro Community Civic Club puts on the fair, which is a massive undertaking that requires numerous volunteers, Starkey said.
“I’d like to thank all the volunteers from the Civic Club and emergency personnel who helped,” Starkey said. “It takes an army to put this on.”
The next Jefferson County Fair is scheduled for July 17-20, 2025, at the Fairgrounds, Starkey said.