The 79th annual Jefferson County Fair will offer plenty of familiar favorites, like live music; food and craft vendors; carnival rides and four motorsport events.
The four-day festival is set for Thursday through Sunday, July 17-20, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Hwy. 21, in Hillsboro. The Fair hours are 5-11 p.m. July 17; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. July 18; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. July 19; 3-9 p.m. July 20.
Admission is free for children 10 and younger and for active military members. Admission costs $15 for adults and provides the ticketholder with access to all events, including those held at the arena, pavilions and Civic Club buildings and grounds.
Special passes are available for $50 and include four tickets that may be used in different ways. One person could use the pass to attend all four nights, two people could use it for two nights or four people could use it for one night. The special pass must be purchased before noon on July 16. To purchase tickets, go to jeffersoncountyfair.net and at the top of the page, click on “events” then “event tickets.”
“There is an advantage to buying the tickets online,” Fair chairman Randy Starkey said. “The (ticket) line does get long, especially on Friday and Saturday; those are our biggest nights.”
Parking will be available onsite and at the Hillsboro Intermediate School and Hillsboro High School lots. Shuttle services will offer rides to and from the Fair on July 18 and July 19.
Pig races will return to the Fair this year and will be held every two hours by the barns. The races will take place all four days.
“We had (the races) for the first time last year, and those were a big hit,” Starkey said. “They set up an oval racetrack, and it’s a lot like a horse race.”
A carnival midway will offer rides all four days of the festival. Single-day, unlimited-ride armbands will cost $28 (plus a $1.25 surcharge) in advance or $36 onsite. To purchase armbands in advance, go to wadeshows.com and click on “find an event” and then scroll down to “Jefferson County Fair.” Individual tickets also are available online and onsite.
A variety of vendors will be on hand at this year’s Fair, including food vendors, crafters, military personnel, veterans and business representatives.
Starkey said the Fairgrounds have seen some big changes since last year.
“We laid a whole lot of asphalt around the walkway around the outside of the vendor area,” Starkey said.
He said two large sections of bleachers have been added, too.
Music
This year’s live music will feature country singer and songwriter Tyler Farr, set to headline the Budweiser Main Stage at 9 p.m. on July 18. At 7:30 p.m., country artist Ward Davis will open for Farr.
Other artists performing throughout the weekend include Scottie Kemp, the Lick Creek band and the Borderline band, all at the RWZ Pavilion. Many other artists are scheduled to perform on the Arnold Ready Mix Patio throughout the Fair.
VIP seating tickets for Farr’s performance may be purchased for $30. Those tickets will be sold first-come-first served and includes Fair entry.
Motorsports, other activities
A variety of motorsports will also return to the STL Diesel Arena this year, including Surdyke motocross at 7 p.m. on July 17; Surdyke SXS/ATV at 7 p.m. on July 18; a truck and tractor pull at 6 p.m. on July 19; and a demolition (demo) derby at 5 p.m. on July 20.
Kid’s Day at this year’s Fair will be from 3-6 p.m. on July 20. Some of the activities will include water play, games, face painting and crafts. Discounted carnival rides will also be available for children during the Kid’s Day hours.
A petting zoo will feature the Wildlife Command Center, camel rides and a butterfly aviary.
The livestock market show and auction will also return to the Fair this year. The market show will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the Farm Bureau Barn on the Fairgrounds. The auction will feature cattle, hogs, goats and sheep. The auction and buyer dinner will begin at 5 p.m. For more information about registration, visit the Jefferson County Livestock Show Association Facebook page.
Starkey said this year’s profits will be used to continue giving back to the community through events, scholarships, donations to other community organizations, infrastructure improvements and more.
No pets, coolers or weapons are allowed at the Fair. Outside food and beverages are also prohibited.
For more information about the Fair, visit jeffersoncountyfair.net or call the Hillsboro Community Civic Club office at 636-797-3900 or check the Jefferson County Fair Facebook page.
Nine musical acts to perform at Fair
The Jefferson County Fair, set for Thursday through Sunday, July 17-20, will feature nine musical acts, with five returning after performing last year.
The performances will be held at either the Budweiser Main Stage, the RWZ Pavilion or the Arnold Ready Mix Patio at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Hwy. 21, in Hillsboro.
Admission to the concerts is free with a purchased ticket to the Fair. Tickets are free for children 10 and younger and for active military members. Admission costs $15 for adults and provides the ticketholder with access to all events, including those at the arena, pavilions and Hillsboro Community Civic Club buildings and grounds.
Special passes are available for $50 and include four tickets that may be used in different ways. For example, one person could use the pass to attend all four nights, two people could use it for two nights or four people could use it for one night. The special pass must be purchased before noon on July 16. To purchase tickets, go to jeffersoncountyfair.net and at the top of the page, click on “events” then “event tickets.”
VIP seating tickets for Farr’s performance cost $30. Those tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis and includes Fair entry.
Parking will be available onsite and at the Hillsboro Intermediate School and Hillsboro High School lots. A free shuttle service will offer rides to and from the Fair on July 18 and July 19.
Tyler Farr
Country singer/songwriter Tyler Farr is set to headline the Budweiser Main Stage at 9 p.m. July 18.
The Missouri native released his debut album, “Redneck Crazy,” in 2013, which landed at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums and No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. Since then, Farr’s success has continued, and he has toured with big-name country artists like Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Brantley Gilbert and Lee Brice.
Rolling Stone described Farr as “a no-frills musician who pours his drinks as hard as he pours his heart into his songs.”
In 2019, Farr was the first artist to be signed under Jason Aldean’s record label, Night Train Records, a part of Broken Bow Records (BBR).
Farr’s second EP was released in 2023 and includes a song featuring Grammy-nominated artist Jelly Roll.
Farr’s most recent single, “My Town Too,” has an upbeat modern country sound, showcasing an opera-trained voice. His other most recent song, “Coming to a Bar Near You,” is a soulful country ballad.
Ward Davis
Country singer-songwriter Ward Davis will open for Farr at 7:30 p.m. July 18 on the Budweiser Main Stage.
Originally from Arkansas, Davis moved to Nashville in the early 2000s to pursue his music career. Since then, he has worked with country stars like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Clint Black. Davis has also worked with country artist Cody Jinks and has been featured on some of Jinks’ albums. Davis also has co-written and toured with Jinks.
Some of Davis’ most popular works include songs like “Another Bad Apple,” “Get to Work Whiskey” and “Time to Move On.” His most recent album release, “The Bordello Sessions,” features live recordings of his set at Blue Heaven Restaurant and Bar in Key West, Fla.
RWZ Pavilion
Scottie Kemp, the Lick Creek band and the Borderline band are scheduled to perform at the RWZ Pavilion during the Fair.
■ Scottie Kemp, a solo singer and songwriter who specializes in country, classic rock and blues, will return to the Fair this year at 9 p.m. on July 17. Kemp is familiar to Jefferson Countians, performing at this year’s Jefferson County Rodeo and often playing at the El Mariachi restaurant in House Springs.
■ Lick Creek will also return to the Fair this year at 10:30 p.m. July 18. Founded in 2013, this six-member band from Springfield, Ill., comprises Clint Brockmeyer on lead guitar, harmonica and mandolin; Ryan King on lead guitar, banjo and mandolin; Jimmy Cloney on bass and vocals; Maddie Brown on guitar and lead vocals; Bob Bryant on drums; and Lance Stone on lead vocals. Pat Keating, owner of the Boondocks night club in Springfield, said the band is “One of the hottest country bands to come out of central Illinois.” Keating also said the band has a unique style and high energy, according to the band’s website.
■ The Borderline band, another returning band, is a six-member country rock group and will perform at 9 p.m. on July 19. Formed in the late 1990s, this St. Louis-based band has performed with country stars Trace Atkins, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and even this year’s Fair headliner, Tyler Farr. The band plays a variety of music, like today’s country hits, classic country hits and familiar classic rock tunes.
Patio
The patio lineup this year will include Scottie Kemp, Bill Scott, Dawn Turlington, 90 Proof Acoustics and Selena Robertson.
■ Singer and songwriter Scottie Kemp is set to play the patio at 5 p.m. July 17 and July 18.
■ Bill Scott is another performer returning to the Fair this year and is scheduled to play at 4 p.m. on July 19. Scott specializes in country music and sings many hits by popular artists.
■ Dawn Turlington will play the patio at 7 p.m. July 19. She sings many types of music, from show tunes, jazz standards, pop and even Top 40 hits. According to the La De Da Entertainment website, Turlington has a wide vocal range and is one of the most versatile female singers in the St. Louis area. She is often called to sing the national anthem for the St. Louis Blues Hockey organization.
■ The 90 Proof Acoustics duo will perform at 3 p.m. on July 20. The duo consists of Buddy Shadowens and Garr DeRousse, musicians from Festus who will play a mix of acoustic country and southern rock.
■ Singer Selena Robertson will perform at the Fair for the first time this year at 6 p.m. on July 20.
Fair will feature several motorsport events
The Jefferson County Fair will feature a variety of motorsport events for guests to enjoy this year. The Fair will run from Thursday through Sunday, July 17-20. Each motorsport event will be held in the STL Diesel Arena at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Hwy. 21, in Hillsboro.
Motocross
The Jeffco MX Classic, a motocross race presented by Surdyke Motorsports in the Festus area is set for 7 p.m. July 17 on the STL Diesel Arena.
This year’s competition will include 20 classes, and five of those will offer a cash payout. Other winners will receive a commemorative plaque.
“Depending on how many people sign up in different (classes), as we’re doing the racing, we may combine a couple,” said Matt Surdyke, president of Surdyke Motorsports. “So it won’t necessarily be that many individual races, but it’s one of those things you have to play by ear the night of and just see.”
Early registration costs $30, and registration on the day of the event is $35. It costs $10 to get access to the pit.
Early registration for riders is available until July 16 at Surdyke Motorsports, 1305 Hwy. 61, or at surdykemotorsports.com. Registration the day of the event is from 4-6 p.m. at the Fairgrounds and practice is at 6 p.m., an hour before the event begins.
To participate, riders must have basic safety equipment, such as a helmet, boots, goggles and a long shirt and pants.
“You should wear gloves and all that,” Surdyke said. “At the Fair races, you sometimes get a local kid who’s been riding around in his backyard, and he doesn’t have all the expensive gear, but he’s got the basics.”
Any rider younger than 18 will need a parental signature to participate.
Each registered rider will be entered for the chance to win a $250 gift card to Surdyke Motorsports, with one winner on Thursday and another on Friday.
For more information, call Surdyke at 636-931-9166 or email marketing@surdykemotorsports.com.
SXS and ATV Race
The SXS (side-by-side) and ATV racing events presented by Surdyke will be held at 7 p.m. July 18 in the STL Diesel Arena.
“We do usually, like, eight classes for that one, a couple of them being four-wheelers, ATV, and two that are specifically four-wheeler,” Surdyke said. “The youth class can be four-wheeler or ATV, and then we have five side-by-side classes.”
Early registration costs $30, and registration on the day of is $35. Access to the pit costs $10. Registration the day of the event is from 4-6 p.m. at the Fairgrounds, and practice is at 6 p.m.
To participate in the events, riders will need to follow a set of safety requirements and wear some protective gear.
“Not near as much (equipment as motocross) – a helmet really is the basic,” Surdyke said. “On ATV, it’s helmet and boots and long pants, but on the side-by-side, because you’re in a full cage, I think a helmet and eye protection.”
Any rider under the age of 18 needs a parental signature to participate. Races will be divided up by age ranges.
This year winners will receive a commemorative plaque.
Each registered rider will be entered in a drawing to win a $250 gift card to Surdyke Motorsports, with one winner on July 17 and on July 18.
“Fair racing is always fun to watch because at least half of the guys who sign up are people who don’t race regularly, so that adds a level of excitement to it,” Surdyke said. “My favorite race of all of them is the little 3- to 5-year-olds who are out there. In their minds, they’re going 1,000 miles an hour.”
For more information, call Surdyke at 636-931-9166 or email marketing@surdykemotorsports.com.
Truck and Tractor Pull
The Truck and Tractor Pull, organized by the Eastern Missouri Truck Pullers and Xcaliber Pulling Association, will start at 6 p.m. on July 19 in the STL Diesel Arena.
EMTP will have gas and diesel classes, including street stock gas, small block gas, hot stock gas, pro street gas, pro stock gas, true stock diesel, hot stock diesel, work stock diesel and 2.6 smooth bore diesel.
That organization will hold technical inspections from 3:30-5:30 p.m. followed by registration from 4-6 p.m. A driver meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m., and the event will begin at 7 p.m.
To register for truck pulling, you must be 16 or older with a valid driver’s license; those younger than 18 must have parental consent and a signed waiver.
The cost to get a “hook” and participate in those events is $40 for EMTP non-members and $30 for members.
“If (people) have a stock vehicle and would like to pull, they just have to be there in time to get their vehicle checked and qualify, and they will be allowed to pull,” said Dwight Terry, owner of EMTP.
For the tractor pull, the Xcaliber Pulling Association classes will include 9000 Pro Farm and 5800 Modified.
Registration will be held a few hours prior to the event. Once someone is registered, then the inspection will be held.
Participants must pay $160 for a one-day membership if they are not already Xcaliber members.
“It’s basically like a membership for the day so they’re covered under the insurance,” Xcaliber Pulling president Bobby Crawford said. “They have to pay a hook fee also, depending on what class they’re in.”
The hook fee is $30 for all classes, except the 1/4 class, which costs $40.
“That’s kind of our big class,” Crawford said.
For more information about the truck pulls and safety requirements, visit easternmissouritruckpullers.com/rules or call Dwight Terry at 314-262-4008.
For more information on the tractor pulls and safety requirements visit xcaliberpullingassociation.com.
Demo Derby
The Full Throttle Demo Derby is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 20 in the STL Diesel Arena.
Several classes and a special kids’ section will be held this year. The classes include super stock, stock, mini street stock and modified mini street stock for those 16 and older. The youth street class is for kids ages 12-15, and the kids’ power wheels derby will include two classes for kids – 3-5 and 6-9.
A prize will be awarded to each of the top three winners in each class. In the modified mini class, there will be one winner who will receive $1,000 if more than 15 cars participate in each class. Each kid’s power wheel derby participant will also receive a goodie bag.
Fair chairman Randy Starkey said organizers will expect 40 cars to participate this year.
Drivers and riders will be charged $45 to participate. Admission to get into the pit is $25. Admission is free for children 9 or younger.
A mandatory inspection for the event will be held from noon to 4 p.m.