SEMO District Fair gets underway Saturday

Once a year, about this time, Cape Girardeau's Arena Park is transformed into a beacon of fluorescent and neon light. The sounds and smells stir the memories of Southeast Missourians and, undoubtedly, will create many new ones.

For eight days beginning Saturday, rides, food, displays, artists, craftsmen and performers will draw thousands of people to the SEMO District Fair. Since 1855 the fair has been Southeast Missouri's traditional farewell to summer. In that first week 153 years ago, the Bierwirth farm, at what is now South Frederick Street, was selected as the fair's first site. In 1870, the fair was held west of Cape near Old Gordonville Road; from 1900 to 1929, Capaha Park was its home. Ten years later, the fair moved to its present location in Arena Park and has been there ever since.

After 153 years, the fair still presents some challenges to organizers.

"Each one of them that we do gets to be a little bit more organized," said SEMO District Fair board member Pete Poe. "We won't call it 'easier,' but we will call it 'more organized.'"

Traditional exhibitions such as livestock, rodeos and horse shows share space with tractor pulls and demolition derbies. Down-home musical acts from Nashville play in the same lineup as fist-pumping rock 'n' rollers.

The Tilt-A-Whirl, the Sea Dragon, bumper cars and countless other rides will make heads spin. For children not quite tall enough for certain rides, fret not; there will be plenty of games with endless opportunities to win prizes and toys.

As for the fair food, choose from pizza, burgers, barbecue, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, deep-fried spiral potatoes, gyros, turkey legs, Italian beef sandwiches and kebabs. Not to mention soda, adult beverages and lemon shake-ups.

All that set up takes time and manpower.

"We've got a great group of volunteers that show up out here all weekend ... and sacrifice most of their weekend to be here with us to help us get it all put together," Poe said. "And we'll be working all during this week, days and evenings both."

Between the grandstand entertainment like concerts, Heartland Idol, tractor pulls and the demolition derby, there's a night for every type.

"I enjoy the motor sports like everybody else does, and I'm looking forward to the class of semis that we have in our tractor pull this year," Poe said. While he said he likes a few Styx songs, Poe is especially looking forward to Craig Morgan's show Sept. 12. For a complete list of events, see good bets on page 8 and 9.

The fair runs from Saturday to Sept. 13 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. For more information, call 573-334-9250 or visit www.semofair.com.