The North Park Fair-A Community Celebration!

It’s Fair time again! The 2017 North Park Fair Books have arrived and can be found all around town! Putting the fair together is a huge community effort that many volunteers and especially the North Park Fair Board work hard for months to accomplish each and every year for our community. As you look through your Fair Book, you’ll be amazed at the many volunteers, donors and sponsors listed throughout the book. Make a point to say thank you to all these fine folks who have kept our North Park Fair going strong for the past 69 years! Even better, if you’re so inclined, jump in and lend a helping hand where you notice it’s needed during the fair. Remember that working hard together builds a stronger community and heaven knows we all want that for North Park!

The 2017 North Park Fair is dedicated to long-time supporter Buck Huston. For many years we’ve all seen Buck at the auctioneers table or working as a ring attendant during the Junior Livestock Sale. Buck came from pioneer roots in North Park. While a freshman in high school, an assignment was given to the students by then English teacher Bill Porterfield, to write a report on “…what you want to do in your life.” So young Buck Huston wrote that he wanted to rodeo, be an auctioneer, a rancher an order buyer and a brand inspector. Buck obviously proceeded to work hard to accomplish all of these goals that he wrote down many years ago! He and his wife Marilyn began their life ranching together in 1962, having two children, Shawnae and Cody, who have since given them many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Marilyn’s beautiful paintings and artwork have graced the Home Arts division over the years. From 1974-2016, Buck worked as the brand inspector for Jackson County and inspected nearly 50,000 cattle a year by the time he reached the pinnacle of his career. Buck has enjoyed as many a practical joke and prank as he did the cattle he inspected. It is with great respect for Buck and the work that he did for North Park that we salute and honor him!

The Open Class Home Economics show, once again this year under the leadership of Karen Fuller and an outstanding group of wonderful community volunteers, provides an opportunity for each and every citizen to celebrate North Park by showing your arts, crafts and kitchen talents while enjoying the talents of your neighbors. Project check-in will be from Noon-6 p.m. Wed, Sept. 6 and 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Wattenberg Center. The exhibits are judged Thursday afternoon, after which the volunteers will then spend the rest of their day displaying the ribbon festooned entries so they are ready for the community to enjoy early Friday morning, Sept 8. Everyone gets to cast their vote for the “People’s Choice” award winning exhibit! Enjoy competing for cash awards in the special community sponsored contests on Saturday, Sept 9. Check in your special desserts by 9 a.m. for the Butch and Betty Crocker Contest or your delicious snacks 9-11 a.m. to compete in the Hors d’oeuvres Contest.

Early Thursday morning Sept 7, the 4-H and FFA kids weigh-in and stall their animals. Then watch the kids get busy feeding, bathing, clipping, brushing and fluffing in preparation for the upcoming shows. Come watch the 4-H kids ride at the Horse Show on Thursday, Sept 7 at 9:00 a.m. Then head back up for Dog Show that begins that evening at 6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 8 is the big show day with the Swine, Sheep, Goat, Poultry and Rabbit events running all day long. Friday evening at 6 p.m., don’t miss Old McDonald’s Farm that exclusively showcases the 4-H Cloverbuds, who will be invited into the show ring to visit impromptu with “Old MikeDonald” about their favorite pet.

Early Saturday morning at 8 a.m., plan to watch the Jackson County beef producers take their turn in the show ring with their North Park cattle during the Open Cattle Pen Show. Next, the 4-H and FFA Beef Show will begin promptly at 10 a.m. The livestock shows wrap up with the Mountain Parks Electric sponsored Round Robin Showmanship competition at 1:30 p.m. where Grand and Reserve Showmanship winners for beef, swine, sheep, goat, horse, rabbits and chickens will rotate from ring to ring to determine the Overall Round Robin Showmanship champions to be announced Saturday night before the Sale.

Thanks to our many dedicated sponsors and amazing livestock buyers, the 4-H and FFA Junior Livestock Sale and Barbecue is the community highlight of the fair. The Hell Creek Cookers aka the Dumler Family will cook the meat and Sale Committee Chair Kelli Pittington and her barbeque crew begins serving their delicious meal promptly at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with the Sale starting at 6:30 p.m.

A special treat for the little North Parkers this year will be playing on the new playground equipment at the Alisha Adkins Memorial 4-H Playground! Thanks to many community contributors and a substantial grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, Jackson County 4-H is thrilled to be able to properly showcase our new playground!

Your hard working North Park Fair Board will be busily wrapping it all up Sunday morning with breakfast concessions ready to serve before the Crossroads Horse Ministry service that starts at 9 a.m. Gather up your family and friends and get ready to join in the long-standing tradition of celebrating another year in the life of our community during the 2017 North Park Fair!

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, September 6

Noon – 6 p.m. Open Class Home Arts, 4-H/FFA entries

Thursday, September 7

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 4-H and FFA Livestock Weigh-in

8– 11 a.m. Open Class Home Arts, 4-H/FFA entries

9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. 4-H Horse Show

6 – 8 p.m. 4-H Dog Show

Friday, September 8

9:00 a.m. – 6 p.m. Open Class Home Arts Show Open.

9 a.m – Noon 4-H and FFA Swine Show

1:00 p.m. 4-H, FFA Sheep followed by Goat Shows