County Fair opens July 18
On Oct. 6, 1858, a few of Platte City, Missouri¹s citizens gathered in the Burge & Hogue Drug Store on Platte City’s Main Street to talk about organizing a county fair.
The purpose? To promote agricultural education and science. The first president of the Agricultural, Mechanical and Stock Association was Gen. Jeff Williams. At the first fair first through third prizes were awarded to the top agricultural and domestic entries and a variety of categories. A track to show pacing horses and food vendors and games of chance rounded out the event.
Beginning in 1863, the fair took place every year interrupted only by World Wars I and II making it the oldest, continually running fair west of the Mississippi.
This year’s fair opens July 18 and will feature a carnival, queen contest, petting zoo, fiddle and talent showcases, 4-H exhibits, demolition derby, Mud-a-Thon, Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling, street diesel pickup pulls, arts and crafts and a melodrama await fairgoers. There will be food vendors, nightly musical entertainment, jugglers, and horse and mule shows, too all for just $7 daily admission - and that includes parking. (Children 12 and under are free admission every day.) The entertainment gets underway at 5:00 p.m. July 18-20. On July 21, the fair starts at 9:00 a.m. and goes on through the night. On Saturday, July 21 the carnival entertains from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to midnight.
And adding to the excitement, the Platte County Extension¹s (PCE) Missouri Wine Competition Awards will be presented opening night of the fair, followed by a wine-tasting benefiting PCE and the fair.
Local candidates for Platte County Fair Queen are Brooke Feehrer, 17, Parkville, St. Pius X High School; Nichole Gresham, 17, Parkville, Park Hill South High School; Nancy Pinkston, 20, Parkville, University of Missouri. The 2007 queen will be presented a $2,000 scholarship from Park University, along with two $500 scholarship awards.
WINE TASTING AND THE DEMOLITION DERBY
A tasting of award-winning Missouri wines is one of the opening events of the Platte County Fair on Wednesday, July 18, at the fairgrounds at Tracy.
Of the 16 wineries in the state, 53 wines out of 116 won medals in a recent judging. The benefit wine tasting of those varieties will start at 8 p.m. in the Platte Purchase building on the fairgrounds. It is sponsored by the Platte County University of Missouri Extension and the Platte County Fair Board.
The advance ticket cost of $20 includes the $7 admission fee to the fairgrounds, the awards ceremony, the wine-tasting and a com-memorative wine glass. Tickets are on sale at all area Gomers and Hen House locations. At the gate, the cost is $22. Also included in the ticket price is admission to the fair’s demolition derby – one of the most popular events and best attended events at the fair.
On Saturday, July 21, representatives of the wineries will conduct a free informational seminar for people interested in growing wine grapes at 9 a.m. at the Platte Purchase building.
“This will be a hands-on session on how to grow grapes and help beginners avoid common mistakes,” according to Tom Stacey, owner of Gomers Northland Fine Wines and Spirits.