Workers, Arena Park gearing up for SEMO District fair

Less than a week remains before the start of the 150th SEMO District Fair, taking place Saturday through Sept. 17 at Arena Park.

Over the weekend workers have been busy readying the fair site for the rides, vendors, exhibits and an expected crowd of about 100,000 over the eight days of the event.

Last year 97,665 people attended the fair. Gates open this year Saturday at 11 a.m., with events beginning at noon.

Friday workers started prepping the grounds, and Saturday the real work began. Fair workers started at 7 a.m. putting up fences and support facilities, said fair board president Pete Poe. Those facilities will have to be ready by the time livestock start arriving on Tuesday.

An addition to the fair's facilities is the new 4,000-square-foot 4-H barn, across the main thoroughfare from the FFA barn.

Fair organizers report ticket sales have been brisk for the entertainment lineup at the fair grandstand, which starts at 8 p.m. Sept. 15 with a performance by country music veteran Randy Travis, who has sold 21 million albums.

"We still have good seats left for the Randy Travis concert, but he's been selling well," said Poe. "Tracy Byrd is also selling well, and the Renegades of Southern Rock are starting to catch on."

Byrd takes the stage at 8 p.m. Sept. 16, and classic rock fans can get a dose of the Renegades at 8 p.m. Sept. 17.

Byrd doesn't have the long career or credentials of Travis, but he has earned plenty of honors over a career spanning 10 years as a country hitmaker.

The Renegades of Southern Rock is a collection of musicians from famous Southern rock acts like The Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Brothers and Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, performing many of those seminal bands' songs.

The Travis, Byrd and Renegades concerts come at a cost, but the fifth annual Heartland Idol contest is free. Aspiring amateurs will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 to vie for prizes in the youth and adult categories.

The junior division is open to people ages 17 and younger, with a prize of a $500 savings bond. The senior division is open to people 18 and up with a $1,000 prize.

Most of the contestants have already been selected through preliminary contests that took place in the area over the summer, but some slots are still open. Another preliminary contest will be held at the fair activities tent at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

The contest is open to 20 people in each division. Contestants must register by 5 p.m. Friday at the Fair Board Office.

Other grandstand entertainment will include tractor and truck pulls, a horse show and a demolition derby.

Another special event will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the fair, with fireworks after Saturday's opening and finale Sept. 17. Poe said the fireworks displays promise to be a delight.

For more information on the fair, log on to the fair Web site at semofair.com or call the fair office at 334-9250.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182