As the Weld County Fair wrapped up its events on July 31, organizers of the Larimer County Fair and Rodeo are busy preparing for opening day.
The fair kicks off at 4pm on Friday at The Ranch Events Complex at 5280 Arena Circle in Loveland with five days of festivities that include Carnival Americana, live entertainment, food and drink vendors, a petting zoo, pony rides and more .
One show you won’t want to miss during the fair is the Ax Women Loggers of Maine.
Ax Women Loggers of Maine consists of a group of female athletes who host logging exhibitions and clinics, as well as compete in logging sports such as ax throwing, log rolling, ax cutting and chainsaw cutting in across the US and around the world.
Husband and wife team Mike and Alissa Wetherbee – who have competed together in cutting sports for years – founded the group. Alissa is an IronJill, which means she chops, saws, and logs.
“I grew up in Maine cutting firewood and stuff like that, and when I was about 20 I started getting into the competition side,” Alissa explained. “I started meeting more and more cute ladies at the races, so we got together and started going to more and more events.”
In 2019, Alissa became the first person to paddle across the Mississippi River, as well as the first person to paddle across the Skunk River in Iowa in 2021 and across the Everglades at Chokoloskee Bay in 2022. She has competed in numerous events and holds several championships titles, including the World Championship title in the Jill & Jill Crosscut event.
As the sport of logging has grown, so have the opportunities for women to compete.
“Twenty years ago it was kind of hard to find a race that had men’s and women’s races. We could go and shred, but we were shredding against the men,” Alissa said. “There just weren’t a lot of women in it. But, it’s been great to see the sport grow. Now we have our own competitions and championships.”
During their shows, Alissa along with other Ax Women Loggers of Maine members, will showcase her skills through a variety of events.
“We start with a chainsaw race. So we need to start the saw and make three cuts. Then we do the ax throwing and chopping on top of a log and the logs in the pool,” she said.
Currently, the group has about 30 members from across the US and Canada, but they are always looking for more women to join.
“We have a large group of us from Maine, but we have ladies from New York, Montana, Florida and all over North America,” Alissa said. “More women are getting into sports and industry and it helps that there are so many colleges that have forestry teams.”
Alissa and her team of lady cutters are scheduled to perform throughout the days of the fair in the IMatter exhibit area on the event center grounds.
To learn more about Ax Women Loggers of Maine, go to www.axewomen.com.
The Community Stage will offer live music starting at 10:15 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Live music continues each evening with the fair’s free concerts on the Jax Main Stage located on the grounds of the event center. Artists including Kersey’s Caitlyn Ochsner, Loveland’s Shred the Cowboy and Denver’s Delta Sonics are scheduled to perform throughout the event.
The concert schedule of the fair is:
- Friday: 5.30pm School of Rock, 8pm Uptown Funk
- Saturday: 6pm Rock Bottom Boys, 8.30pm Caitlyn Ochsner
- Sunday: 6pm Rock Bottom Boys, 8.30pm Last Man on Earth
- Monday: 6:30pm Shred the Cowboy, 9pm West HWY 7
- Tuesday: 6pm Delta Sonics, 8pm Aberdeen Band
Community members of all ages are invited to attend the Iron Family Indigenous Welcome Ceremony at 4:30pm Friday on the Jax Main Stage.
The Round-Up and Longhorn outdoor arenas will host shows for visitors of all ages. Performances in outdoor arenas are free.
Crystal Lyons Ministries will hold cowboy church at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Round-Up Arena. Don’t expect to see a mild-mannered pastor talking to a crow at this cowboy church service. The speaker will speak to attendees while balanced on the back of a Gypsy Vanner stallion, entertaining and inspiring attendees of all ages.
Show times for Longhorn Arena are:
- Continental Divide Dog Herding – 6pm Friday
- Cowboy Shootout – 9am Saturday
- Jr. Rodeo – 9am Sunday
The PRCA Pro-Rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Sunday and runs through Tuesday at the Budweiser Event Center, 5290 Arena Circle, with bareback riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, barrel racing, bust sheep, roping, team roping and saddle bronc riding by some of the best rodeo athletes and animals across the country.
Beutler and Son Rodeo Company is the stock contractor for the rodeo. The company also provides stock for the Greeley Stampede and has produced some of the largest rodeos across the US since the 1930s.
Tickets for the PRCA Pro-Rodeo are $18 and $22, plus fees, per person 2 and older, depending on seating selection.
People of all ages are invited to join the cornhole tournament which will take place at 3pm on Sunday in the Center Court. Teams of two players will toss bags to compete for a variety of prize packs, gift cards and more.
All tables and bags will be provided, however players may bring their own bags if they wish.
The tournament has a three-game guarantee and the entry fee is $80 per team.
For more information, or to register for the cornhole tour, go to https://bit.ly/3OUk57o.
Of course, you can’t have a fair without animal and arts and crafts entries, so don’t miss the various exhibits and shows throughout the event. From dogs and goats to flowers and baked goods, visitors to the fair are invited to come and see what members of the local community have entered into the fair.
For a complete list of exhibitions and performances, go to https://bit.ly/3oRpPnW.
Between seeing the show, live music, enjoying carnival rides and feasting on a variety of fairground foods, swing by the Marketplace in the FNBO Building North Exhibit Hall to check out some western clothing, arts and crafts, and other items and services from businesses and organizations from across northern Colorado and across the US
The market is open 4-8pm Friday, 10am-8pm Saturday and Sunday and 4-8pm Monday and Tuesday.
The Loveland event will culminate with a Junior Livestock sale at 4:30 pm Wednesday at MAC Equipment Inc. Indoor Arena located on the grounds of the event center.
Youth ages 8-19 will display their project animal for people to compete. Money raised from the sale will help fund youth animal projects for future fairs and shows.
Buyers have the option to donate the animal/meat to the Larimer County Food Bank for a tax write off.
For more information on the 2022 Junior Livestock Sale, contact Doug Pennock at (970) 381-2655 or go to https://bit.ly/3JqbeJn.
Admission and parking for the 2022 Larimer County Fair is free and all ages are invited to attend.
Carnival Americana wristbands are $90 per person for unlimited rides throughout Carnival or $35 for a one-day pass with unlimited rides and can be purchased at the carnival entrance.
Dogs are allowed at the fair, except in the barn areas where the animals will be housed. Dogs must be on a leash at all times and owners are asked to pick up after their dogs.
For more information on the 2022 Larimer County Fair and Rodeo, or to purchase tickets to the PRCA Pro-Rodeo, go to https://bit.ly/3fuHg9B.
