SEMO DISTRICT FAIR APPEALS TO ENTIRE FAMILY

The 136th edition of the SEMO District Fair will feature all the favorite fair attractions plus some added surprises, said Fair Board President Pete Poe, who referred to early September as "fair season."

"We are very excited," Poe said. "The weather is beautiful and the park is looking better than ever."

The fair begins in Arena Park Sunday, Sept. 8, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 14.

Along with a first-rate line up of stars for the fair's grandstand entertainment, annual favorites like the demolition derby and tractor pull also are scheduled.

In addition, the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses will be part of the SEMO District Fair for the first time since the late '70s. The Clydesdales will be featured in the Monday parade, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at Capaha Park and goes west on Broadway to Arena Park. They will perform shows in front of the grandstand daily Wednesday through Saturday. The shows will be at about 6 p.m. and are free.

The Clydesdales will be in Cape Girardeau for nine days, the longest time the horses are at one place in 1991.

Poe said he is excited about the fair for other reasons, too. Ticket sales for the nightly grandstand entertainment are brisk, especially for Steven Curtis Chapman, a contemporary Christian artist who will make his first appearance at the fair on Thursday, he said.

"It's a very pleasant surprise because it's a complete departure from what we've done in the past with only country music entertainment," Poe said.

Chapman joins country stars Ricky Skaggs, who will perform Friday, Shenandoah on Saturday, and Joe Diffie and Neal McCoy on Wednesday as the 1991 fair grandstand entertainers. Poe said lots of good seats are still available for the shows.

Poe said tickets for Skaggs' show also are selling well.

The parade marshal for the fair is astronaut Linda Godwin, a native of Oak Ridge. Godwin will speak at the fairgrounds Monday following the parade.

Other fair attractions are the baby contest, games and carnival rides, livestock exhibits and shows, FFA exhibits, 4-H exhibits, an old-time fiddlers contest, and lots of activities for kids.

Agriculture events also will be held throughout the fair, and the annual horse show is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the grandstand.

Events scheduled for the R&R tent include local entertainers from the Little Ole Opry, Brent & the McClain Sisters, Crossroads, a safari hunt, 4-H-FFA public speaking contest, smile contest and a Ninja Turtle look-alike contest.

Poe said the fair board has made physical improvements to the fairgrounds "in order to make for a more pleasant experience at the fair."

A paving project this year at the park eliminated all gravel roads to keep dust down and, in the event of rain, to eliminate standing water and mud.

Last year improvements were made in the grandstand and in-ground electrical wiring at the north end of the fairgrounds.

Sunday is Sneak-A-Peak Day at the fair. There is free admission to the fairgrounds and a $2 charge to park. On Monday there is free admission to the fairgrounds until 4 p.m. Regular admission for the other days is $2 for adults and children over 12; children under 12 get in free.

As always, Poe said, volunteers play a big part in the fair. "We're still looking for volunteers," he said.

The seven corporate sponsors for this year's fair are Coca-Cola Bottling Co., of Southeast Missouri; Cybertel Cellular Phones; Exchange Bank of Cape Girardeau and Jackson; Farrow Amusement Co.; Schaper's IGA and Save-A-Lot Food Stores; Southeast Missourian-Concord Printing; and Zimmer Broadcasting.

The fair is presented each year through the Southeast Missouri District Fair Association, a 700-member group led by a 12-member board of directors.