It all begins quietly this afternoon, when 4-H participants start checking in. At 4 p.m., Montana Barrel Horse Association races get underway. Later in the evening, 4-H indoor projects will be interviewed and judged.
And then, off we go: Boulder’s biggest weekend, the 38th annual county fair and rodeo, a five-day whirl of barbecue and baked goods, ranchers and horses, music and dancing, will take off.
This is not a big-money affair. Well, except for the bake auction, where the right pie can sell for four digits. But otherwise, this affair is a cheap date: Entry is free, and parking is $2 per car. Even the pro rodeo events on Friday and Saturday evenings cost just $10 for adults, and $5 for kids.
“We want everyone to have fun and smile, and that’s why we keep the prices down,” says Terry Minow, the Fair Board chair. “Not everyone can afford to go to the big fairs like in Helena, so we want them to come here.”
It’s called “A Fair of the Heart” – and the heart of the fair begins Thursday morning with 4-H livestock shows. Hogs at 10 a.m.; pocket pets, rabbits, and cats at noon; and lambs at 6:30 p.m. Cattle come under the spotlight Friday at 3 p.m.
(Sadly, 4-H poultry will be absent this year: In the wake of an outbreak of avian influenza, the state Department of Livestock has banned public exhibitions of birds. Instead, 4-H Outlaws members will demonstrate their skills and understanding with a stuffed bird — not what they’re accustomed to, but the show must go on.)
The In-County Rodeo has been switched to Thursday, starting at 4 p.m. Traditionally held on Friday evening, the in-county event was rescheduled to allow the NRA Rodeo to be held on Friday and Saturday, said Jefferson County Rodeo Association President Brady Nordahl. The JCRA is hoping that weekend prime-time will boost attendance at the pro events, yielding higher revenue to support future rodeos.
On Friday, the kids’ parade makes its way down Main Street at 11 a.m. All children are welcome: Dress up! Get a ribbon! Win the adoring applause of all! And then make your way to the kids’ rodeo in the arena – a prelude to the NRA action that starts at 5 p.m.
Arrive at the fairgrounds early Saturday morning for a pancake breakfast served up by the Jefferson High School Drama Club, which is raising money for future travels and performances. That afternoon, the Jefferson High band will take its turn, dishing out barbecue and fixings to raise money for its own competition travel.
Then, it’s a very full day. The grown-up rodeo parade fills Main Street beginning at noon. The Cirque High Flying Acrobats, a new act, perform at 1:30, 3:30, and 6:00 p.m. The 4-H livestock sale begins at 2 p.m., with that charity bake auction to follow. (Bring your checkbook.) The NRA rodeo returns at 5 p.m., and then the evening ends with the Longhorn Band headlining the big barn dance.
Sunday’s breakfast is cooked up by the Boulder River Carousel Committee – and by the way, that grand carousel will be spinning all weekend. At 11 a.m., the county’s up-and-coming bronc-busters show their stuff at the stick-horse rodeo — and then, because there is no such thing as too much fun for five-year-olds, they’ll chase around in the Hunt in the Hay.
All the while, there will be music: Nightcrawlers, John Montoya, Luke Handyside, and Rich Matoon. The Toni Person Puppets will appear live and in-puppet at the Red Barn, at 12:30 p.m. And the acrobats reprise their high-wire act at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
And then, finally, the Fair of the Heart will be done. The acrobats and musicians will pack up their respective things, and 4-Hers will collect their animals and exhibits. The last of the Slack rodeo participants will circle the arena, and the carousel will stop turning. Summer will unofficially end in Jefferson County, and we’ll start counting the days until Boulder’s next biggest weekend.
