ENTERTAINMENT FOR FAIR ANNOUNCED

It might be Missouri's oldest outdoor fair, but organizers of the SEMO District Fair are hoping some new and young faces in country music will attract thousands of people to the Fairgrounds this year.

Members of the SEMO District Fair Association announced the 1996 entertainment lineup Monday. The fair will be held Sept. 8 to 14 in Arena Park.

Entertainment for the fair begins Sunday afternoon with a free horse show followed by a demolition derby Monday night. A tractor pull and truck pull are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Tickets for those events cost $7.

Comic and musical entertainers will round out the week's grandstand activities. They include Williams and Ree, a comedy duo known as The Indian and the White Guy, and country artists Bryan White, Rhett Akins and Tracy Lawrence.

White and Akins are making their first visit to Cape Girardeau for the 141st annual fair, while Lawrence has performed in the area before. Lawrence first appeared in 1993 and was scheduled for a show in 1995, but it was canceled.

With top names in country music and plenty of family events, it has never been really hard to draw a crowd at the SEMO District Fair. Almost 90,000 people attended the Fair last year and even larger crowds are anticipated this year.

"We stress value and it's a family-conscious fair," said Pete Poe, vice president of the fair board. "There's something for everybody. We don't let one part dominate the others."

More than 25 different amusement rides will line the midway during the week. The new rides, operated by Astro Amusement Co. Inc., will feature a 20-meter Ferris wheel and a new, larger fun house.

Fair attractions are divided between the grandstand concerts, amusement rides, free demonstrations and livestock and horticulture exhibits. Most of the attractions are balanced, Poe said.

But the attractions aren't costly. There hasn't been an increase in admission or parking charges for 15 years, so visitors still spend only $2 to enter the gates. Grandstand ticket prices for the concerts range from $10.50 to $15.

Tickets for the grandstand events will go on sale July 31 at 8:30 a.m. at the Fair office. They also can be charged by telephone by calling 1-800-455-FAIR.

But not all Fair events demand an admission charge. The Fair parade begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday and travels from Capaha Park to the Fairgrounds. Other free events include livestock judging shows, the SEMO Fair Pageant, and daily entertainment in the R&R tent.

For more information about Fair activities or tickets, call 334-9250 or 1-800-455-FAIR.

The Fair is sponsored by the Southeast Missourian-Concord Printing, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Cybertel Cellular, Astro Amusements, KBSI-TV Fox 23, KZIM 960 K-103, Zimmer Broadcasting, Schaper's IGA and Save-A-Lot Food Stores.