Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Welcome to the 2022 Washakie County Fair. There are several changes to this year’s fair as the fair board worked to listen to residents and provide some nostalgic favorites to the fair, revamp some past events and add some new events.
The horse show kicked things off Saturday and you could not have asked for better weather, especially in the morning with a cool breeze and some cloud cover. The kids seemed to be having a good time. I witnessed some light banter between friends on who would help with the barrels or run and pick up cowboy hats, but everyone was willing to pitch in as needed.
Monday night I was able to watch the royalty crowning, the first in what is believed to be 17 years. It was well attended and these young ladies will represent Washakie County and the fair well during the next year. Organizers Beth Stiver and Sherry Walter have a focus and renewed energy for the program that they hope grows and is an integral part of fair for decades to come. This year they are off to a great start.
Monday night the fair board brought an old favorite back with the county commissioners serving up root beer floats. The floats were dished up by volunteers, but the commissioners took trays of the frozen treats around to the great crowd gathered visiting, eating dinner, enjoying floats. The kids were having a blast on the kid train provided by the Youngs.
As I write this Monday night I don’t know how the rest of fair week will go but it is off to a fun and entertaining start.
Tuesday night the fair board brought in a motorcross stunt team out of Billings, Octane Addictions, as some new entertainment.
For those who like rodeo they scheduled the youth rodeo Wednesday and the main fair rodeo is Friday night.
After a hiccup with the previous pig wrestling contractor, the board was able to get a pig wrestling event together, thanks to hogs from a Wheatland company and Worland’s own Lynn Murdoch agreeing to run the event, which is always a fair crowd pleaser. The slipping and sliding in bentonite mud takes place Thursday night, the same night the main musical acts begin.
A board member recently made the comment that the Washakie County Fair has probably one of the best musical lineups in the state. They could be right because it is a great lineup. It actually starts with a small free mini concert by Worland’s own Big Praise Wednesday night.
The main musical entertainment starts tonight (Thursday) with a free concert by Pinedale’s Jared Rogerson and The Big Wreck, Worland’s own cover band Rattlesnake Ridge performs free on Friday night and then the headliner Confederate Railroad, of which I am a huge fan and have been for many years, performs Saturday evening.
Ten Sleep’s Lacy Nelson (now of South Dakota) will be the first opening act for Confederate Railroad, followed by Daniel Kosel and the Madrona Road Band out of Montana. Get your tickets (online or at the gate), bring your lawn chair and enjoy a great evening of music on the grassy area.
And, of course, throughout the week there are the many animal shows with youth showing their hard work with 4-H and FFA projects, all of which culminates in the Junior Livestock Sale on Saturday morning following the parade.
But don’t forget to check out the static exhibits inside the main fair building and see what talented youth and adults we have with 4-H, FFA and open class projects on display.
Also, I hear that there are 38 entries initially signed up for this year’s parade.
Take time out of your busy week and spend some time at the fair. There is no cost to enter the fairgrounds and attend any of the animal shows, attend one of the free concerts, visit with your neighbors or get to know someone new.
While there are a few events with entry fees — rodeos, pig wrestling and the headliner concert. There’s plenty to see and do without costing you much, except for the short drive to the fairgrounds.
Hope to see you there.
--Karla Pomeroy