Residents will experience tradition at the 2019 Utah County Fair
Kids relax in water balls during the Utah County Fair held Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. The fair kicked off Wednesday, and will continue until Saturday. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Dylan Cutshall, of Buckner, Missouri, jumps into the crowd at the end of his bullfight during the American Bullfighting competition as part of the Utah County Fair held Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. The fair kicked off Wednesday, and will continue until Saturday. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
From left, Mikah Banks, 13, of Lakeshore, Kylee Olsen, 13, and Tate Banks, 13, both of Spanish Fork, groom a sheep during the Utah County Fair held Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds. The fair kicked off Wednesday, and will continue until Saturday. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Whether you want to experience years-long family traditions or create new ones, this year’s Utah County Fair, which will be held Aug. 14-17, is a place to start.
“Experience Tradition” is the theme for this year’s fair, which is held at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds, 475 S. Main St.
“County fairs are an American tradition and are a place where families make their individual traditions,” said Calli Nielsen, fair director. “We wanted a theme that encouraged people to relive and share their traditions with the community, to celebrate the long history of county fairs and to celebrate community tradition.”
This year’s fair will have some traditional activities and events, as well as new ones.
“The Demolition Derby sells out every year and is our most popular event,” Nielsen said. The derby will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 17. Another popular event is the monster truck show and figure 8 race. Monster trucks Bigfoot and Snake Bite will join the show this year. The show will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 16.
“The kids who attend the fair love seeing the animals in the Jr. Livestock Show,” Nielsen said. Animals are always a big part of the fair. At the livestock shows, visitors can look at the different animals, including pigs, sheep and cows and even see the ones that win the various awards. There will also be a taxidermy show, with local taxidermists entering their work to be judged.
A Youth Fun Horse Show will be held at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15. This is for ages 8-17. Events include egg race, butterfly poles, Big M, keyhole stake, barrels, ring race and Big T.
“We are so excited for our dinosaur exhibit this year,” Nielsen said. “Other favorite events are the reptile show and rodeo.”
The Western Night Rodeo will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 15. The rodeo is free and tickets can be printed from the Utah County Fair’s website.
New events that have been added to this year’s lineup will allow community members to begin new traditions.
“We added a Cultural Dance Celebration, which will include African, Native American, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Latin dances,” Nielsen said.
Experience-based events are also new this year. These include roping lessons, axe throwing, a dinosaur museum and robotics competitions.
“We are excited to have kids’ activities provided by BYU Museum of Art and Orem Public Library,” Nielsen said. “Overall, we want attendees to come and learn something new, and enjoy that experience.”
There is free admission, free parking and many free attractions at the fair. In addition to Nielsen, a committee of about 30 volunteers helps to plan and organize the fair.
For more information about the fair, go to http://utahcountyfair.org or the Utah County Fair Facebook page.