Vendors and exhibitors look forward to welcoming Central Oklahomans to the Free Cleveland County Fair starting Thursday, where attendees can eat their favorite fried food, watch a wild dog race and even pet a few furry and feathered friends.
The 114th edition of the fair begins at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E. Robinson St. Parking and entry are free.
Due to a logistical conflict, the carnival will open on Friday, but there are plenty of free and low-cost activities to take part in on opening day.
Thursday options include a petting zoo inside the Fair Barn and horseback riding, which are available for a fee. The Canadian River Tractor Club has free activities for children such as hay, trackless train, corn mill and shell on the north side of the fairgrounds near the annual antique tractor show.
Amber Spiers, livestock supervisor for poultry, said Thursday is a big day for 4-H animal exhibitors. Livestock checks are done on Thursday evenings – Spiers said that includes any animal except bunnies.
This process involves fitting the animals, placing them in their respective pens, and often, some additional adjustments.
“If you’re a 4H kid, Thursday night is a really fun night because everyone is there and there’s a lot of anticipation,” Spiers said. “Some of the kids don’t see each other except at the fair, so on Thursday night there’s a lot of camaraderie, grooming and preparing our animals.”
A petting zoo takes place inside the Fair Barn from 3pm to 9pm on Thursdays. Cattle registration begins at 7:00 p.m
The Fair Barn opens at 8 a.m. Friday with goat and poultry judging, followed by sheep and dairy cattle.
The Antique Tractor Show with free children’s activities begins at 5 p.m. Thursday near the Porter Avenue entrance and will continue daily from the fair’s opening to closing.
Wendy Chapman-Rue has four generations of her family exhibiting at the fair this weekend.
Her father Freddie Chapman started showing pigs when he was a junior in high school, and her uncle and aunt showed cattle and crops.
Chapman-Rue began exhibiting horses in the 80s. She said she enjoyed that annual effort with her mother.
Both of her children, Blaine Rue and Ray Rue, began exhibiting livestock including goats, sheep and pigs.
“Now my granddaughter is what’s called a clover bud — her name is Kylie Rue-Huckleberry,” Chapman-Rue said. “She started in pommel horse racing a few years ago, and this year will be the second year she’s shown a goat and some sheep.”
While the fair is truly a family affair for Chapman-Rue, she said it provides learning experiences for the community, especially those without an agricultural background.
“A lot of kids who are urban don’t really have that experience,” Chapman-Rue said. “They don’t get to know where their eggs come from, or where their milk comes from — they just think it shows up at the grocery store.”
The carnival runs from 4pm to 11pm on Friday, noon to 11pm on Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday. Wade Shows, a Michigan-based amusement company, will take on carnival duties for the first time.
Wade Shows was ranked as one of the top five entertainment companies, according to Carnival Warehouse.
Cleveland County spokeswoman Joy Hampton said fairgoers can expect all the traditional fried favorites from food vendors, including funnel cakes and Indian tacos.
Automotive enthusiasts can check out the Saturday morning car and motorcycle show starting at 10 a.m., where Chapman-Rue’s father, Bill Chapman, will display his motor trike.
“I’m really proud of my parents — that my dad is in his 80s and still entering the county fair,” Chapman-Rue said. “It’s funny, because years ago, my father said if you’re going to be part of this family, you’re going to enter something at the county fair, whether it’s showing the goat or showing the car.”
Chapman-Rue said the fair is equal parts education and entertainment.
Kids can watch princesses and superheroes stroll through the fairgrounds from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday. Additionally, the fan-favorite Weiner Dog races will begin at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s absolutely my favorite time of year,” Chapman-Rue said.
For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit clevelandcountyfair.org.
