'Summer's Last Blast': 163rd annual SEMO Fair starts next weekend

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to fix a scheduling mistake caused by a source error.

The SEMO District Fair returns next weekend, bringing with it a new carnival company, 30 amusement rides and more than 80 vendors.

To kick things off, the annual fair parade will begin 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau, followed by the annual SEMO Fair Pageant on Sunday.

�Summer�s Last Blast� is the theme for this year�s fair, following last year�s �Party with the Animals� theme, said Pete Poe, a SEMO District Fair Board of Directors member.

�Last year, we had 93,000 [attendees], and we would expect that we would get that number again this year,� he said.

Abbi Schoen, 3, holds onto a calf Sept. 10, 2017, during the SEMO District Fair at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

According to Poe, this year�s carnival rides will be provided by Arkansas-based Miller Spectacular Shows, a SEMO District Fair newcomer.

Poe said the company wil be bringing the largest number of rides the fair has seen in several years.

One �pretty nice ride� that borders on �extreme� and is new to Cape Girardeau, Poe said, is Miller�s Sky Wheel, a double Ferris wheel.

The attraction was previously owned by Georgia-based Gold Medal Shows, according to the SEMO District Fair website, and is one of few Sky Wheels currently traveling in the United States.

Entertainment for the week includes a demolition derby; Heartland Barrel racing; a hot-rod truck and tractor pull; the 17th Heartland Idol; contemporary Christian artists Natalie Grant and Citizen Way; modern country artist Granger Smith; and classic country group Diamond Rio.

Michael Penny holds his arm around Crystal Archer on Sept. 10, 2017, during the SEMO District Fair at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

�We still have free parking, and we have our special entry pricing on Tuesday and Thursday,� Poe said.

The only main schedule changes from last year, Poe explained, are regarding the opening day for the demolition derby and the last Saturday for the fair�s tractor pull.

�Rather than the usual 7 p.m. start time, we�re starting at 6 p.m., to better accommodate traffic and the people,� he said.

Poe also revealed there have already been some added, early inquiries for animals in the designated livestock area this year, �which is really exciting for us,� he said.

There was also a need this time around for �some additional space� in the poultry tent, Poe said.

Robert Laseter of Sikeston, Missouri, sits between his two International Harvester tractors Sept. 10, 2017, at the SEMO District Fair in Cape Girardeau.Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian, file

�Our numbers are up,� he said.

There also will be 26 food vendors set up this year, Poe said, along with nearly 50 other vendors.

And the same perimeters will be in existence as last year, he said, taking up nearly all of Arena Park.

The SEMO District Fair runs Sept. 8 through 15 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

Tickets for grandstand events and all other details are available online at www.semofair.com.

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SEMO District Fair 2018 Grandstand entertainment lineup

• 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 -- Dual Demo Derby
• 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 -- Heartland Barrel Racing
• 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10 -- 17th Heartland Idol
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11 -- Natalie Grant and Citizen Way
• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12 -- Diamond Rio
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 -- Granger Smith
• 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 -- Hot Rod Truck & Tractor Pull
• 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 -- Hot Rod Truck & Tractor Pull

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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