County Fair to Feature New Events

The Howard County Agricultural Society has released their entertainment lineup for the 2023 Howard County Fair to be held in St. Paul from Saturday, July 15th, through Wednesday, July 19th.

The county fair’s entertainment events start on Saturday afternoon with Midstates Mud Racing presenting mud drag racing at 1:00 p.m. in front of the grandstands. Class and race regulation information can be found on Midstates Mud Racing’s website, midstatesmudracing. wixsite.com.

Music will be returning to the Howard County Fair this year, with country music group Eli Alger and the Faster Horses performing Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Howard County Fair will be Eli’s only Nebraska stop on his group’s Fresh Outta the Gate Tour. An Iowa native, Alger—alongside his Faster Horses, Matt Lale, Vincent Benyshek, Joshua Rector, Sam Ramsell, and Joseph Hixenbaugh—has opened for major acts like Randall King, Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Tyler Booth, and James Carothers, to name a few. In September 2021, Alger released his debut single “Rednexico.” It has since amassed over 180,000 streams and has seen radio play on independent radio around the nation and internationally.

“With over 1,500 shows under his belt, you can be sure that Eli and the boys will put on a powerful, emotional, professional, thought out, choreographed, and, most importantly, entertaining performance whenever taking the stage,” attests the group’s website. Videos of Eli’s music can be found on his Facebook page.

Sunday afternoon entertainment will include the children’s tractor pull and turtle races. This year, the Barnyard Olympics will also be moved to Sunday; with its timing to be coordinated with the 4-H and FFA schedules. The third annual barbeque cook-off will be held later Sunday evening, with music and, possibly, karaoke expected to be part of the event this year.

Monday evening will bring the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull to the county.

“This show will provide fast-paced, high horsepower excitement,” attests the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association’s website. “The tractors you see pulling in the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull Association look nothing like the equipment they’re named after. These are monsters with rear tires taller than the average human being and engines that literally shake the ground when they’re cranked up during a pull.”

Tuesday night will see an old favorite returning with a slightly different look.

Get Bent Promotions are the new officiants of the annual Howard County Fair Demolition Derby. Get Bent Promotions started out as a smalltown demolition derby in Chappell, Nebraska and have since continued to grow, putting on shows throughout Nebraska and Kansas.

Admission prices to this year’s grandstand events have been set at $5.00 for general admission to the mud drags, $10.00 for general admission to the tractor pull and demolition derby, and $20.00 for the concert. Plans are being made to offer special ticket packages for all of the grandstand shows. News regarding these packages, notes the Howard County Agricultural Society, will be coming soon.

For updated information, follow the “Howard County Fair, Nebraska” Facebook page, or visit www. howardcountyfair.net.