The McKenzie County Fair is Coming, July 9-12

Where else can you watch an angry bull stomp and thrash about, watch blinged-out barrel racers steady their steeds, or witness brave pickup men charge toward bucking broncos? It's the same place where you can listen to live entertainment while enjoying a fist full of cotton candy while riding the zipper among friends and neighbors at the carnival! Before the dust settles on the 55th annual McKenzie County Fair, folks will have an opportunity to enjoy rodeo performances, a demolition derby, beef barbecue, two evening dances, carnival, petting zoo and 4H livestock and horsemanship shows; promising to be another roping, riding, bucking good time!

The four-day event kicks off July 9, and lasts until July 12. This year's theme is "Lasso Some Fun."

"As a committee I think we are most proud of the fact that we have been able to continue creating that small-town feel for our fair, even though our community has grown so much. People still feel safe and enjoy the family aspect of the event," said Janel Lee, a longtime fair committee member.

Events kick off on Wednesday, July 9, at 10:00 a.m. with a 4H livestock exhibit that lasts throughout the day.

The carnival will take place daily beginning Thursday, July 10, as well as Curly's Funtastic Kid Zone opening at 11:00 a.m. The 4H exhibits will continue that day with a swine show, goat show, sheep show and beef breeding show.

The traditional Olaf Leiseth Jr. Memorial Draft Horse Competition will take place Thursday at 7:00 p.m. with registration beginning at 6:00 p.m. "This really is a lost art and is something everyone should see," Lee said. There, the large, powerful horses will make their through an obstacle course to see which horse can complete the course without knocking over any of the cones. This year, there will also be a National Wild Turkey Federal shooting booth and old time photos booth daily. Attendees will also have an opportunity to create Can Art, with artist Matt Sorensen, who can customize, mix and match pictures together into a single piece of artwork.

Commercial exhibitors will be there daily selling local crafts and goods until 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Thursday's Main Street parade will begin at 4:00 p.m. in Watford City followed by a beef barbecue beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds. The 4-H Open Class Dog and Livestock Competition will begin at 6:00 p.m.

On Friday 4-H awards will be presented at 1:00 p.m. followed by a livestock sale. At 2:00 p.m. registration opens for the demolition derby which is set to take place at 6:00 p.m. There will be live entertainment beginning at 9:00 p.m. with a performance by "The Farthest Edge" of Billings.

A youth rodeo is set to place on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the multi-purpose building followed by NDRA rodeo slack at 1:00 p.m. The Li'l Buckaroo Rodeo kicks off at 3:00 p.m. followed by McKenzie County Caviar at 4:30 p.m. and the Cake Walk at 5:00 p.m.

The NDRA rodeo begins at 6:00 p.m. with entertainment following at 9:00 p.m. with K-Hook.

General admission buttons cost $5 and are good for every day of the fair. The buttons also include admission to the barbecue.

Tickets to the NDRA rodeo, or to the demolition derby, are $10 for adults, $5 for youth ages 6-13 and 6 and under are free.

For more information, email Carolyn Levang at [email protected]. Or contact (701) 898-9801.

Planning for the fair is a year-long activity that will begin again in November when committee members attend a fair convention. There they will meet with entertainment and carnival acts to determine next year's entertainment line-up.

The first McKenzie County Fair on record dates back to 1959.