The Monroe County fair will begin June 30 and go until July 6. The fair will include a carnival, musical performances and events such as a rodeo and demolition derby.
The fair will take place at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, located at 5700 W Airport Road in Bloomington. General admission to the fair is $5 per person for ages 13 and up, $3 per person for ages six to 12 and free for all children aged five and under. Ride tickets and entrance to the Grandstand arena are separate costs. For those bringing a vehicle, parking will be free for the duration of the fair.
Though the concerts and activities don’t begin until June 30, Jake Conard, president of the Monroe County Fairgrounds Association, said that Friday’s fireworks show is the kickoff of the fair. The display will be around 45 minutes long.
“General admission is donations only, so (people) donate at the gate when they come in,” Conard said. “We have a company that comes in and prepares the fireworks and lights them off. They donate their time and labor; we just pay for the material. All the donations we get at the gate go right back into paying for next year's (show).”
The Queen & Princess Pageant takes place Saturday night, where competitors are judged on their “poise, personality, and ability to converse,” according to the pageant rules.
While entrance to the fairgrounds is free on Saturday evening, spectators must buy tickets to watch the competition, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets are available at the door and cost $5 for children ages six to 12 and $10 for those aged 13 and older. Entry is free for children five and younger.
On Sunday evening, City Church will host a night of worship at 7 p.m. in the fairground's auditorium.
Monday, June 30
Open class exhibits open for viewing 10 a.m. in the auditorium. There will be displays of crafts, baked goods and agricultural products.
Monster truck rides start at 4 p.m. in the Grandstand arena. While admission into the arena to watch is free for this event, tickets to ride in the trucks are $10.
Bloomington-based singer-songwriter Michael Norris will perform at 6:30 p.m. on the Family Free Stage and country artist Hank Ruff at 8 p.m.
The Monroe County Cutest Baby Contest will be held in the auditorium. Parents interested in having their children participate in the event can register beginning at 5 p.m. and the contest will be held at 6 p.m. Admission to watch the contest is $5.
At the Kids’ Big Top Tent there will be an animal show by Silly Safaris at 4 p.m. This event will repeat daily. Silly Safaris is an Indianapolis-based organization focusing on animal conservation and education.
“They open it up to questions, kind of tell you where this kind of animal would live, how they would survive, what they'd eat, stuff like that, their habitat,” Conard said. “And then they do this show and then once the show's over the kids can actually line up and then go up and if they want to touch the animal, they can.”
The Pedal Tractor Pull will begin at 5:30 p.m. Children compete against others in their age group in a kid-friendly version of a tractor pull, in which modified tractors attempt to pull a weighted sled.
North Lawn activities are free for all to enjoy. The family-friendly events include Foam Zone, Kids Celebration, laser tag, Jurassic Kingdom and demonstrations by Bear Hollow Wood Carvers. On the South Lawn, there will be First Bite Fishing. See the fair schedule for times.
Laser tag and Jurassic Kingdom activities will recur every evening, while wood carving demonstrations and First Bite Fishing only go until July 5.
Conard described Jurassic Kingdom as a dinosaur and “Jurassic Park” themed show. Though he hasn’t seen the show yet himself, he knows it’s popular by how far ahead he had to plan it.
“We had to sign a contract for them three years (ago) to get them here this year,” Conard said.
Tuesday, July 1
Supercross, a dirt bike race, will take place at the Grandstand at 7 p.m. Admission to the arena during the fair is $5 for ages 12 and under and $10 for adults.
On the free stage there will be a small animal auction held at 7 p.m. and Senior Day will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the auditorium.
The carnival will open at 6 p.m. and for opening night, unlimited ride armbands are available for $30 instead of the usual $35. All opening times are weather dependent, and the carnival will run until 5 p.m. July 6.
Wednesday, July 2
Touch a Truck will take place from 12 to 3 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Touch A Truck is an event where the public, especially children, can get close to vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks. Conard estimated that 500 or 600 children have come to the activity, which is free with fair entry, for each of the past two years of the fair.
Conard made a deal with Bloomington’s department of parks and recreation: a field in the fall for help with the trucks in the summer.
“They have their pumpkin launch out here in October,” Conard said. “And I trade them out the property for them to do the pumpkin launch there in October, for them to help me with Touch A Truck.”
On the free stage, Wednesday events include a royal breakfast with the queen of the county fair at 10 a.m. and performances by Conner Loveless at 6:30 p.m., and Jake Dodds at 8 p.m. Loveless has released three acoustic songs on Spotify and Dodds is a country artist who recently played at The Bluebird Nightclub in Bloomington.
Tractor pulls will begin at 7 p.m. in the Grandstand arena.
WTIU will also host Kids Day from 3 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium.
“They take over our auditorium, and they have all kinds of stuff they set up for the kids,” Conard said. “They have green screens and different activities for them to do in there.”
At the Kids’ Big Top Tent, in addition to the daily Silly Safaris performance at 4 p.m., there will be another at 12 p.m., as well as a Pedal Tractor Pull at 5:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, the carnival will open at 2 p.m., and two unlimited-ride armbands will cost $35 instead of $70 as part of a two-for-one special.
Thursday, July 3
A “Bake-It with Peaches” contest will take place at 12 p.m. in the fairgrounds’ Community Building. Permanent residents of Monroe County may enter a peach-containing baked good of choice in the contest.
A rodeo will take place at 7 p.m. in the Grandstand arena, though the gates open at 6 p.m. Events include bull riding, bronc riding, barrel racing and mutton busting.
Musical act Midtown Madmen will take the free stage at 6 p.m., followed by the Dane Clark Band at 8 p.m. The Midtown Madmen focus on 1950s and 1960s rock, while Clark’s rock shows the influence of Bob Dylan and British Invasion bands.
In the auditorium, the Indiana Dance Company will perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is free with fair entry.
The carnival opens at 6 p.m. and according to the posted schedule there is a special where all rides will cost only one ticket.
Friday, July 4
The carnival will open to the public at 5 p.m.
Dawn Keller will perform at 6:30 p.m. This performance will be followed by the country group Mystery Train at 8 p.m. on the free stage.
In the Grandstand arena, Go-Kart races will begin at 7 p.m. Yard Kart Nationals, a kart club based in Indiana, will host the race. The public is welcome to watch but not participate.
Saturday, July 5
The Demolition Derby will take place at 7 p.m. in the Grandstand arena. TNT Demolition Derby, based in Michigan, hosts this event.
On the free stage, there will be Americana music by John Kogge at 6 p.m. Shortly after this performance country group Jim Hayden and The Country Playboys will take the stage at 8 p.m.
The carnival will open at 2 p.m., and as an early-bird special, from 2 to 4 p.m. tickets will only cost $1.50.
Sunday, July 6
The carnival opens at 1 p.m. and closes at 5 p.m. For the final day, rides will only cost one ticket.
