About 250 people turned out for a recent Rock N Roll Bingo fundraiser and raised more than $8,700 for the upcoming Mastodon Art/Science Regional Fair, said Samantha DeClue, the fair’s executive director.
The 45th annual fair is scheduled for Sunday through Saturday, March 17-23, at the Jefferson College Field House in Hillsboro.
The bingo fundraiser was held Feb. 16 at the Festus-Crystal City Elks Lodge No. 1721 in Crystal City.
“This was our first Rock N Roll Bingo,” DeClue said. “We’re definitely happy with the amount and the attendance, especially considering the wintry weather (on the day of the event).”
She said the Rock N Roll Bingo was partly trivia and partly bingo.
“It’s a mixture of music and trivia, but it’s still bingo,” DeClue said. “Instead of yelling ‘B-2,” the emcee plays a clip of a song and asks a question about the name of the song or the artist. The answer corresponds with a space on the bingo card. Every round is a different theme.”
The money from the event will not only help cover expenses for the Mastodon Art/Science Regional Fair but also for scholarships awarded at the fair, DeClue said.
She said organizers have been trying to increase participation in the fair after its numbers dropped following the COVID pandemic.
“Pre-COVID, we had up to 477 participants,” she said. “Now, it’s around 200.”
The fair accepts participants from 13 counties in Missouri – Callaway, Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Maries, Osage, Phelps, St. Francois (art only), Ste. Genevieve (art only), St. Louis (art only) and Washington – and five from Illinois – Brown, Jackson, Perry, Randolph and Union.
For years, the fair was for school-aged children, but now adults may participate, too.
“We now have an 18 and up division,” DeClue said.
DeClue said fair organizers are seeking both participants, as well as volunteers to help set up, clean up and take care of other tasks. The fair set-up begins Friday, March 15.
The following is a schedule of fair events:
■ March 16: Register online at mastodonfair.org. Registration costs $10 per entry.
■ March 17: Project drop-off. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended registration for $20 per entry begins.
■ March 18: Project drop-off, 9 a.m. to noon. Extended registration ends at noon.
■ March 19: Judging.
■ March 21: The public is invited to view exhibits from 4-7:30 p.m.
■ March 22: Project scoring, awards and certificate tabulations-finalizations.
■ March 23: Family Expo Day. The public is invited to view exhibits and take part in hands-on activities, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Admission is free for the March 21 and March 23 public sessions.
For more information or to volunteer, call 314-529-1329 or visit mastodonfair.org or the organization’s Facebook page.