FAIR LINEUP RANGES FROM COUNTRY MUSIC TO BULL `CHUTE-OUT'

Plans for the SEMO District Fair, Missouri's fourth largest outdoor event, include country music, bull riding, trained camels and more.

Pete Poe, president of the fair board, kicked off the 137th annual district fair Tuesday. The fair will be held Sept. 13-19 in Cape Girardeau's Arena Park.

Grandstand entertainment includes the traditional demolition derby Monday and the tractor pull Tuesday.

On Wednesday, about 50 professional cowboys will compete in the Big Bull Chute-Out.

Neal McCoy will entertain Thursday, Pirates of the Mississippi on Friday, and Billy Dean will perform Saturday.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 3, the same day the fair office officially opens.

Poe said tickets may be purchased by credit card. The fair also has a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-455-FAIR.

The traditional fair parade will be held Monday from Capaha Park to Arena Park. A dromedary hitch, the only one of its kind in North America, will lead the parade. Eight camels, trained by 5-H Ranch in Cape Girardeau, will pull a show wagon.

On Sunday, the fair will again offer a Sneak-a-Peek with free gate admission. A horse show is planned and the midway will be open.

Poe said the SEMO District Fair ranks behind the St. Louis VP Fair, the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia and the Springfield Ozarks fair in size.

The fair board continues its efforts to upgrade the fairgrounds in Arena Park.

This year, Poe said, the fair plans to build a footbridge adjacent to the traffic bridge on East Rodney.

"We have recognized the need for a number of years," Poe said.

He said the project is in early stages, just recently getting the go-ahead from the city. No price estimates are available yet. "We will get the money. This is something that needs to be done. We hope to have it done by fair time."

Other improvements include another phase of the electrical system update, improving the water distribution system and improvements to the grandstand.

Country music, gaining in popularity across the nation, should reflect in good ticket sales for the fair, Poe said.

"Country music is so hot. The demand is so huge. It's really a sellers market for country acts," Poe said. "The competition is just unbelievable. Some of the groups we were working with had as many as five other offers for the same night.

"We are really excited about all three of the entertainers we had."

"Neal McCoy is the first entertainer I can remember who asked to come back," Poe said. McCoy performed at the fair last year.

"A lot of people also came up to us after last year's performance and asked to have him back," Poe said. "So he's back by popular demand."

Poe said the fair board decided to depart from the traditional concert on Wednesday night for the rodeo event. "Wednesday has been inconsistent for us," he said. "Attendance has been up and down. We decided to try something completely different."

The Big Bull Chute-Out makes its first Missouri appearance at the Cape Girardeau fair.

"This is a professional production and it's strictly a bull riding event," Poe said.

He added that surveys show bull riding is the most popular of all rodeo events.

Last year, Poe said, "Attendance was up, just a bit, and revenues were up, just a bit. In recessionary times, that speaks well for the fair.

"We were also able to hold the lines on expenses. As a result gate prices and ticket prices are the same."

He added that grandstand tickets are also the same price except on Wednesday, when prices are lower than last year.

Also last year, 13 civic organizations who operated booths at the fair took home a total of about $75,000 to help support their organizations.