The region’s biggest fair returns Friday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 11, for families to enjoy agriculture, animals, entertainment, games, rides and food as the annual Clark County Fair opens for its 154th year.
The fair, 17402 NE Delfel Road, Ridgefield, is from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, through Thursday, Aug. 8; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Aug. 10; and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11.
Rides open at noon daily with Butler Amusements bringing a new ride called Khaos, which will be visible from Interstate 5, fair manager and CEO John Morrison said.
For the second year, a Fred Meyer store coupon will give people free entry on opening day. For those waiting in lines or arriving late, the fair has extended the hours to enter free with a coupon to 1 p.m.
“We try to have something new every year at the Clark County Fair,” Morrison said. “One of my goals is to tell people if you come to the fair, you’re going to see something you haven’t seen here before. It’s not the same old thing every year, and one of the areas that we’re able to do that quite effectively is what we call the feature area, and that’s the display that’s across the midway from the big exhibit hall, and we change that out every year to have something different.”
This year’s featured exhibit will be “Dino Encounters.” Morrison said the dinosaur-themed exhibit will encompass the entire building, which he added will be fun and educational for all ages. At the heart of the exhibit is a 78-foot-long tyrannosaurus rex inflatable obstacle course.
Butterfly Adventures, DogTown and the Pirate’s Parrot Show, featuring Clark County’s own Zena, will begin each day at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. and run until various closing times in the late evening.
The opening day parade takes place at 2 p.m. on the main midway.
The grandstand concerts this year kick off at 7 p.m. beginning with Billy Currington on opening day, Sublime with Rome on their Farewell Tour will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3, and Chris Janson will play on Sunday, Aug. 4.
The Washington State Fiddle Championships will take place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 4, on the Holt Homes Community Stage.
Other Holt Homes Community Stage entertainment includes hypnotist Joe Black, who makes his debut at the 2024 Clark County Fair.
The fair will also feature a number of eating contests, as well. A watermelon-eating contest is slated for Saturday, Aug. 3. There will also be a hot dog-eating contest on Sunday, Aug. 4; a donut-eating contest on Friday, Aug. 9; a cheeseburger-eating contest Saturday, Aug. 10; and a pie-eating contest will conclude the contests on Sunday, Aug. 11. Registration for each of the contests is at 12:30 p.m. at the stage.
Sticking to its roots, agriculture events and animal showings are scheduled throughout the week.
“Across the country, as agriculture declines, fairs struggle to keep their ag-centric focus,” Morrison said. “I am committed here to make this fair both agricultural and relevant, and when I say relevant, it means I need to recognize at my age when I was 12, fairs were very different. Ag was king. Today, fairs have got to think about what are 12-year-olds looking for and doing today.”
The Toyota Grandstands entertainment extends one more day as the rodeo has expanded to two days.
On Monday, Aug. 5 the mutton bustin’ contest will take place at 2 p.m. at the grandstand. At 7 p.m., the bull-riding portion of the rodeo is scheduled.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, the mutton bustin’ contest returns for a second day, followed by the Hell on Hooves Rodeo at 7 p.m. at the grandstand.
At 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, the demolition derby will take place at the grandstand.
At 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, the Side x Side racing and monster truck rides will take place at the grandstand.
The Tuff Trucks events will take place at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Aug. 10, at the grandstand.
Monster trucks will conclude the grandstand entertainment with events at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11.
For more information, including a daily schedule of all events, visit clarkcofair.com and/or download the new app, Clark County Fair, in the Apple Store and Google Play store, for all information, schedules and locations of happenings at the fairgrounds.
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