RISON - The annual Cleveland County Fair Week begins this Saturday, Sept. 13 with the County Fair Pageants, followed by a week of entries, a livestock show and rodeo.
The Cleveland County Youth Pageant will be held at 10 a.m. and the Cleveland County Fair Queen and Junior Fair Queen pageants will follow at 3 p.m.
There is an admission fee to watch the pageants, which is $5 for ages six and up.
Right now there are close to 30 contestants competing for titles in the pageants.
Pageant coordinator Selena McDougald will take entries through end of day Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Exhibits, excluding livestock and baked goods, must be entered on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Judging for some floriculture and horticulture categories will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Baked goods have a specific entry time on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Livestock exhibits may be entered on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m.
All other exhibits will be judged starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The judged exhibits will be open to the public for viewing at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday after the conclusion of judging.
Canned goods, clothing, furniture, produce, floral arrangements, photography and more are some of the exhibits that may be entered. All of the categories are listed in the tabloid available digitally online at Cleveland-CountyHerald.com and on Facebook. Printed copies of the tabloid are also available this week at the Herald office, County Extension office and other locations around the county.
The main requirement is all items must be handmade or homegrown. Nothing can be purchased and entered.
During a recent episode of the Free Range Conversations Podcast, Fair President Roy Phillips and Fair Manager John Appleget explain the entry process and how that can equate to prize money for those entering the fair. The podcast episode is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ClevelandCountyHerald.com Entries are awarded ribbons, primarily blue for first place and red for second. Each ribbon earns a certain amount of points, generally 2 to 5 points.
The total points are accumulated and then converted into prize money. The amount paid per point is based on the fair's budget, which is funded by premium money from the state.
The amount of money paid per point is often about a dollar, but it can vary each year depending on the number of entries.
Phillips recalled one individual received a check for around $400 for their entries.
The organizers are hopeful they will see an increase in entries for a third year after the past two years have been on the rise. The more entries the fair receives, the better the prize money will be for the following year.
Appleget also reminded listeners that there are two separate judging groups: adults and a junior division for school-age kids, roughly 18 and under, who compete against their peers.
Activities for the fair include a performance from the Kinders at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 for students, followed by bingo from 6 to 8 p.m., and a movie night starting at 8 p.m. hosted by Rison FFA.
Bingo will also be held again Friday, Sept. 19.
A rodeo is also set for Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20 with nightly entertainment and $4,500 in added money.
While most activities at the fair are free to attend, there is an admission charge to the rodeo. Admission is $10 per person, ages 6 and up.
The fair is also accepting booth and table displays for the exhibit hall.
Requirements are listed in the tabloid, but anyone interested in signing up to have an educational or commercial (or retail) booth, contact Karen Bell Fox at (870) 692-4097 by Monday, Sept. 15.