The 76th annual Jefferson County Fair will offer a spectacle-filled weekend from Thursday through Sunday, July 21-24, at the county Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21, in Hillsboro.
Fair hours will be from 5-11 p.m. July 21, 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. July 22, 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. July 23 and 3-9 p.m. July 24.
Admission costs $15 at the gate, but those 10 and younger, along with military members, may attend for free. Advance tickets are available for the same price.
In addition, a special pass for four is available for $50. Carnival ride armbands also will be sold.
Parking is free and there will be a shuttle service available on July 22 and July 23 to assist fairgoers.
“I encourage people to come early because it’s going to be crowded,” fair chairman Randy Starkey said.
Country music artist Sara Evans will perform July 22, headlining the weekend’s festivities, which also will include carnival rides, motorsports shows and several other family-friendly activities.
“I’m really excited about being able to get Sara Evans, a local Missouri girl,” Starkey said. “We have always had VIP seats. We’ve never sold out more than 400 seats, but we have (already) increased our number of VIP seats twice now.”
Tyke Town, a kid-friendly zone that will include a petting zoo and pony rides, will be open every night for those 30 inches and shorter. The children must be accompanied by an adult, Starkey said.
“I think it’s a really good, inexpensive way to go (and) spend time with your family,” Starkey said. “We have Wade Shows carnivals back this year. It’s been our carnival (provider) for years. They even did the carnival for the Missouri State Fair.”
An animal exhibit, featuring lemurs, a variety of birds, an assortment of snakes and even alligators will be held each day.
The carnival, along with music, motorsports, and food, will be offered every night of the fair.
How to get tickets
Advance tickets may be purchased online at jeffersoncountyfair.net for $15.
The special $50 pass may be purchased online at that same website, which can be used for four people during one night of the fair, two people over two nights or one person for each of the four nights. The pass must be purchased in advance by noon July 20.
Admission provides access to motorsports, music, vendors, 4H exhibits, Tyke Town and displays.
Unlimited carnival ride armbands are available for $25 online and $30 at the fair. The online armbands may be purchased by going to wadeshows.com and clicking the “find an event” tab and scrolling down to the Jefferson County Fair. Each armband is good for one day, and they are not recommended for those 36 inches and shorter.
Exhibits
The Fair also will feature a ‘Show-Me Your Best’ contest, with people of all ages entering exhibits in more than 100 categories, including baking, photography, arts, crafts, clothing and plants. The contest is sponsored by the University of Missouri Extension, Jefferson County 4-H, Jefferson County Extension Council and the Hillsboro Civic Club.
Entries should be taken to the Hillsboro Community Civic Center at the fairgrounds, from 3-7 p.m. Monday, July 18, or from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 20.
No entries will be accepted after noon on July 20.
Exhibits will remain on display and showcased online throughout the fair and will then be available for pickup from 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday, July 25.
For questions about the contest, contact the MU Extension office at (636)797-5391.
July 21
The July 21 attractions will feature a few familiar ones.
Scottie Kemp, who opened last year’s musical lineup with a performance at the RWZ Pavilion, will perform at the Arnold Ready Mix Patio from 5-9 p.m. Kemp is a one-man band who plays country, classic rock and blues.
Another returning act from last year is the JeffCo MX Classic, hosted by Surdyke Motorsports in Festus. The motocross event will begin at 7 p.m. and include a variety of classes competing. For more information about registration or the list of classes, visit the Surdyke Motorsports Facebook page or call 636-931-9166.
Sweetwater Holler, a first-timer at the Fair, will offer more music, taking the RWZ Pavilion stage at 8 p.m. The five-member band features two members, Justin and Julia Dill, who were featured on the Chevy Music Showcase in 2013 and 2020.
July 22
Jason Cole, a local musician from Festus who performed at the Fair last year, will return to the Arnold Ready Mix Patio at 5 p.m., performing before headliner Evans takes to the Budweiser Main Stage at 9 p.m.
Evans, a native of New Franklin, was named the 2006 Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year.
The musical lineup will continue with another returner, Borderline, who will share the stage with Evans before closing out the night’s music at the RWZ Pavilion. The five-member group is based in St. Louis and has been playing together for 20 years in events around the Midwest.
Amidst the music, side-by-side and ATV monster truck-style racing will take place in the STL Diesel Arena at 7 p.m.
Starkey said a fireworks display will light up the skies following Evans’ performance around 10:30 p.m.
July 23
Mike Lanini, a musician from southeastern Missouri, is set to kick off the musical performances at 5 p.m. on July 23, performing on the Arnold Ready Mix Patio until 9 p.m.
Saucy’s Pizza will host a wing-eating competition at 7 p.m. Registration for the contest will begin at 6 p.m., and 20 names will be drawn to compete in the contest.
A truck and tractor pull, sponsored by the Eastern Missouri Truck Pullers, will feature both gas and diesel categories.
The Johnathan Braddy Band will take over the RWZ Pavilion at 9 p.m., providing late evening musical entertainment.
Monster truck rides will be available for $10 at the STL Diesel Arena as well.
July 24
Kids Day at the Fair will be July 24, featuring crafts, games, water play and face-painting and a variety of activities at the Sapaugh Family Pavilion.
While no musical artists will perform on July 24, fairgoers will have the opportunity to show off their singing skills at the karaoke event from 4-8 p.m. at the Arnold Ready Mix Patio.
The prime entertainment for the day will be the monster trucks at STL Diesel Arena, which will start at 6 p.m. Public Nuisance, Wicked Sickness, Quad Chaos, The Dirt Crew and the TailGator will compete in monster truck-style competitions.
For those interested in photography, there will be a photography contest for pictures taken at the Fair. The deadline to submit those will be July 31. More information about the contest may be found at jeffersoncountyfair.net.