East Perry Community fair begins Friday

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- As parades go, it's tough to beat the procession that begins the East Perry Community Fair that will be held Friday and Saturday at the fairgrounds in Altenburg, about 30 miles north of Cape Girardeau.

Four Southeast Missouri high school bands -- Perryville, St. Vincent, Oak Ridge and Meadow Heights -- set the tempo for the hourlong-plus parade, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Friday. Because traffic into Altenburg generally is stopped by about 1 p.m., fairgoers are encouraged to arrive early to take a position along the Main Street, aka Route A, parade route, according to a news release from the fair committee.

Serving this year as parade grand marshal is Steve Meier of Jackson, whose resume reads like a countrified renaissance man.

Meier recently retired as postmaster at Altenburg, a position he held since 1999, and earlier served the Postal Service delivering mail in Jackson as "the singing mailman," serenading those along his routes. Meier has been active in the Jackson Municipal Band since 1969 and lends his voice to the Southeast Missouri University Community Choir and other choruses.

Meier, a graduate of St. Paul Lutheran School and Jackson High School, earned a bachelor's degree in music education at Southeast Missouri State University. In 1973, he began teaching. He was band director in the Potosi and Oak Ridge school districts. Meier and his wife Teresa, who have been married 35 years, own and operate Horseshoe Pines Christmas Tree Farm southwest of Jackson and operate a Christmas gift shop. Meier is active in the Missouri Christmas Tree Association, having served as president, vice president and board member, and the National Christmas Tree Association.

The family also raises Belgian horses -- massive draft horses that can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. Since the 1960s, Meier and his family have exhibited at the East Perry Fair and other venues, showing not only the Belgians but also goats and beef cattle. Meier also leads the East Perry Fair's 4-H draft horse show.

"For many years Steve has been assisting the parade committee by helping direct entries and keeping traffic flowing smoothly through Altenburg before the start of the parade. This year we will gladly excuse Mr. Meier from his duties and ask him to take a little different view of the East Perry Community Fair, one from the front of the pack. It's been an honor and a privilege for the East Perry community to have had Mr. Meier serve as our postmaster, and it's an honor for the fair to have him as one of their many assets, and it's an honor to announce Mr. Steve Meier as the grand marshal," said Mike Engert, fair committee secretary, in the news release.

Entertainment

The fair offers free admission, free parking and free entertainment, including country rock band Common Thread at 6:30 p.m. Friday; Fineline at noon Saturday; and Backstreet Cruisers, playing 1950s and '60s rock 'n' roll, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

An antique tractor pull will take place at 5 p.m. Friday.

Saturday's emphasis is on livestock judging, including one of the 10 largest beef cattle shows in Missouri, according to the release. It starts at 10 a.m., which is the start of the large draft horse and mule show, including hitch classes. The East Perry fair is known for its mule-jumping contest, which takes place at 4:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the four-wheel drive truck pull with seven classes of trucks. The fair wraps up Saturday evening with a host of attendance prizes.

Fair food abounds. The fair committee erected a new, larger building to provide grilled cheese sandwiches, a favorite of fairgoers. New this year is corn on the cob, which joins the anticipated fair fare ranging from ice cream, funnel cakes and shaved ice to pork chops, chicken gizzards, bratwursts, pork burgers and more.

In addition to a full complement of carnival rides for children, the fair consists of nearly 100 booths of a spectrum of vendors of jewelry, crafts, motorcycles, household goods, farm supplies, fencing, western wear and more.

The fair schedule is available at eastperryfair.com. More information is available by calling 573-824-5322.

nhadler@semissourian.com

388-3630

Pertinent address:

200 Church Street, Altenburg, MO 63732