Big Horn County Fair featuring pie and fun for 2017

BASIN – The Big Horn County Fair in Basin officially kicks off Monday morning with horse judging but the dog show is tomorrow at 9 a.m. The fun starts Wednesday with a variety of free events for kids of all ages and culminates with a rodeo and concert next Friday, Aug. 5.

“We aren’t having a carnival this year,” explained Fair Director Sheila Paumer, “but we will be having laser tag and an inflatable fun zone, free of charge.”

Behind the fairgrounds main hall, activities will include an inflatable fun zone and laser tag Wednesday through Saturday, and on Saturday the fair will feature archery dodgeball (shooting foam tipped arrows at teams, a 50-foot obstacle course for younger kids, and water bumper pool.

“The water bumper pool is very popular,” said Paumer, explaining that contestants get inside giant plastic balls and race across water. “People usually get out when they are done and get right back in line because it’s so much fun.”

A free stage will host musical acts Wednesday through Saturday, including Party People, Davis and Maverick, Heaven Bound (Wednesday), Dan Garnet (Thursday), an open jam for all area musicians (Friday), and the Undecided Band (Saturday).

Specialty acts will include the Tom O’Day Wild West show on Saturday at 2 p.m., and a performance by The Voice finalist Jake Worthington on Saturday night following the rodeo.

Grandstand events include pig wrestling Wednesday at 5 p.m., rodeo Saturday at 7 p.m. and a demolition derby Sunday at 2 p.m.

Individual tickets for grandstand events are $10, or fairgoers can purchase a discount card for all three events for $20.

Saturday has a full slate of fair-related events, including a pie baking contest, horseshoe throwing contest, zucchini carving contest, and a pie eating contest at 2 p.m.

The junior livestock sale will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Big Horn REA Building at the fairgrounds in Basin.