This year's fair entertainment includes rodeos, music and Monster Trucks

Rodeos, live music and monster trucks are just a few of the entertainment events planned to take place at the Washakie County Fairgrounds July 24- 31.

RODEO

The rodeo is being contracted by the Griemsmans this year, who are new to organizing but not to rodeo. “My family does team roping,” Cassidy Griemsman, one of the main event organizers said. “We always put on team ropings and have done a junior rodeo; we figured we could do the fair rodeo too.”

The Kids Rodeo will take place on July 28 starting at 5:30 p.m. Young riders can participate in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, steer riding, mutton busting, breakaway, team roping and a stick horse race. “Kids who don’t have horses can even participate; they can do mutton busting and the stick horse race,” Griemsman said. Pre-entries are invited to call or text questions to Cassidy Griemsman at 307-431-0707, kids are permitted to enter the day of the rodeo.

The Open Fair Rodeo, planned for 7 p.m., Friday, July 30 at 7 p.m., has a new event this year.

“We’re doing a fun event called Dally Ribbon Roping,”Griemsman explained. “It has to be a male-female team. One of them ropes the calf and the other one has to grab the ribbon off their tail and run back to the chute, it is a timed event. When I was in high school I competed in it; it is fun, always fun. I think it will be a crowd pleaser this year, honestly!”

Other Open Rodeo events include bareback riding, saddle bronc, bull riding, calf roping, breakaway, team roping, barrel racing, mixed team racing and steer wrestling as well as a kids calf scramble. Entries will be taken Monday, July 26 from 6-8 p.m. and entries calls can be made to Ronna Collingwood at 307-765-4609.

MUSIC

The live music lineup has been put together by Daniel Kosel, who has been helping with Washakie County Fair for around four years now. He has put together a group of talented artists both touring and local, with hopes to have a diverse selection of country, rock, blues, Americana, and folk. “So many new performances!” Kosel noted. “It will be nice to see things back on track post-COVID.”

On July 28 the music will start at 6:30 p.m. with performances from Bryan Hetzel, Rigby Summer and Dugan Irby Band, wrapping up at 10:30 p.m. Hetzel grew up in Wyoming farming and ranching and now has his own album with songs based on his lived experiences, “What Wasn’t Expected.” According to his Facebook page, his sound is “Americana, folk, alt-country with a hint of bluegrass and jazz, a new style of play.” Rigby Summer is an Americana artist with country influences. She is on tour across Wyoming, Oklahoma and Kansas. According to the Sheridan Press, Dugan Irby graduated Big Horn High School in 2020 and started recording his first album in March of 2021.

Thursday, July 29 will follow the same play time, with Bo DoPena Band and Tris Munsick and the Innocents contributing. DoPena is a Colorado-based artist with Texas-style music, traditional country and more modern music with a rock twist. Tris Munsick and the Innocents are from the Bighorns and specialize in traditional western country.

On Friday between 6:30-11 p.m., Marcedes Carroll, Chandler Huntley and Stephanie Yaeger will perform as well as local band Rattlesnake Ridge. Carroll, Huntley and Yaeger are all guitarists, and between them there will be a mix of delta blues, country and rock n’ roll. Rattlesnake Ridge will offer “country dancing, beer-drinking music.”

A Teen Dance party will be hosted by Chad Rose Mobile DJ Service Saturday, July 31 from 9 p.m.-midnight.

MONSTER TRUCKS

Also on the fair schedule is a monster truck arena event, part of Live a Little Production’s Monster Truck Insanity Tour which makes over 30 stops per year from Arkansas to the West Coast.

“The Monster Truck Insanity Tour includes some of the best monster trucks in the entire U.S., and includes opportunities for the locals to come race with tough trucks, cars, motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs. It is a fast paced 90 to 120-minute show that provides family fun entertainment for all ages,” said organizer Skyler Neibaur.

The event includes a monster truck wheelie competition, racing competition, and freestyle competition.

“This is an outdoor venue where the monsters can fly!” said Neibaur. “The local racers are also a big part of the show and we encourage them to come have fun in front of their hometown crowd!”

Those looking to participate can bring their vehicle and their helmet to the arena and register between 5-6 p.m. Saturday night. The event will begin at 7 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at the Washakie County Fair office.

The 2021 Washakie County Fair Book is available at the fair office or online at washakiecountyfair.com. It includes a schedule of all the events planned for this year’s fair, including the entertainment schedule.

A full schedule is also published this week on B4-B5.