Be sure to wear your Stetson, straw hat, bowler, fedora, top hat, captain’s hat or baseball cap to the Jefferson County Fair.
That’s so you can truly participate in this year’s theme, “Hat’s Off to You! Years of Volunteers.”
Dozens of volunteers have put in thousands of hours over the decades stretching back to the first county fair in Quilcene in 1902.
“Everybody puts in zillions of hours,” said Fair Board Secretary Lisa Richardson.
“The Fair Board meets all year long to plan the fair, then a few months ahead of it they’re working here fixing things and coordinating stuff. The floral department needed 90 volunteers and home economics needs 40, and that’s just during the fair.”
Volunteers clean and decorate the buildings, schedule events, assign booths, judge vegetables and handle questions on everything. They haul hay for cows, schedule entertainers, find lost parents and set up displays.
The 2001 fair features an impressive photo display in the Erickson Building compiled by Eileen Martin, herself a long-time volunteer.
The display shows a historical timeline of the fair dating back to the first one in Quilcene in 1902. Sixty-four fairs later, volunteers keep the family-oriented, traditional county fair going.
Here’s the schedule of activities at the Jefferson County Fair:
Friday, Aug. 10
Kids’ Day
9 a.m. — 4-H beef show, covered arena.
10 a.m. — Official opening; Horse Drill Team, horse arena; hands-on art for children, art building; Petting Zoo opens, small animal barn; gem craft demonstrations, Rock Club building; 4-H cat show, cat building; 4-H demonstrations, 4-H Building.
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Model airplane demonstrations, Main Stage.
10:30 a.m. — Horse events begin, horse arena.
11 a.m. — 4-H and open sheep show, covered arena.
1 p.m. — 4-H and open dairy show, covered arena.
1 p.m. — Andy Mackey and Kids Harmonica Band, Stage 2.
4 p.m. — Dukes of Dabob, Stage 2
7 p.m. — Rabbit and cat Knowledge Bowl competitions, 4-H building and cat building.
7 p.m. — Coltrain Country Band, Main Stage.
Saturday, Aug. 11
9 a.m. — Open class beef show, covered arena; 4-H horse gaming contests, horse arena.
9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Olympic Trailblazers 4×4 Obstacle Course, Main Stage area.
10 a.m. — Horse Drill Team, horse arena; hands-on art for children, art building; Petting Zoo opens, small animal barn; gem craft demonstrations, Rock Club building; 4-H cat show, cat building; 4-H and open goat show, goat tent; 4-H demonstrations, 4-H Building.
10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. — Mr. Thumb Magical Clown, Stage 2.
Noon — 4-H fashion review, 4-H building.
Noon — James and The Shifters, Stage 2.
Noon to 3 p.m. — Salmon barbecue, covered picnic area.
Noon to 5 p.m. — Pony Club events, horse arena.
1 p.m. — Goat contest, goat tent.
2 p.m. and 4 p.m. — Lorraine Burdick reads cat stories, cat building.
3 p.m. — Washington State Draft Horse Pull, Main Stage.
5 p.m. — Model airplane demonstrations, Main Stage area.
5:15 p.m. — Horse Drill Team, horse arena.
6 p.m. — Severn Sisters Band, Main Stage; 4-H horse costume contest, horse arena.
7 p.m. — 4-H cat Knowledge Bowl, cat building.
7:30 p.m. 4-H Round Robin Showmanship contest, 4-H building.
Sunday, Aug. 12
10 a.m. — Hands-on art for children, art building; Petting Zoo opens, small animal barn; gem craft demonstrations, Rock Club building; 4-H cat show, cat building; 4-H demonstrations, 4-H Building.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Mr. Thumb Magical Clown strolls the grounds.
10:30 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. — Hot Shots Tap Dancers, Stage 2.
Noon and 1:30 p.m. — Severn Sisters Band, Main Stage.
Noon to 6 p.m. — Beef barbecue, covered picnic area.
12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. — Time Benders Band, Main Stage.
3 p.m. — Horse Drill Team, horse arena.
3:15 p.m. — Olympic Trailblazers Mud Bog Race, Main Stage area.
More about the Jefferson County Fair appears in Peninsula Spotlight magazine, part of the Friday/Saturday Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to have your PDN delivered to your home or office.
