Greased pigs and good music at Queens County fair

Fair Association General Manager, Doreen Holdright says, “We tried to improve our programming for all ages and hopefully this will be a good start.”

Mark Cameron and Outskirtz, who has appeared live on Country Music Television, had two hit original songs and was a headliner at this year’s biggest country show in Atlantic Canada, Country Rocks 2008, is performing 9 p.m. in the English arena on Saturday after an 8 p.m. performance by Queens County Fair’s sponsored entry into the Canadian Youth Talent Competition, Demi Beaumier.

Holdright says, “He’s getting to be pretty popular. This is our first time having a big concert in the arena, to try and get a name.”

Of course, she says, lots of local talent will provide musical entertainment as well during the fair.

A full listing of events and activities is available at www.queenscountyfair.ca.

A highlight of the festival is always the Tuesday evening Queen of the Fair pageant. This year, however, organizers are holding a Queen Mother pageant for women over 50 years of age.

“I think they’ve got more in the Queen Mother than they do in the Queen of the Fair. I think that’s going to be a blast because of the ones that are going in it.”

The parade starts 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The line-up is 1 p.m. at North Queens Rural High School.

Other first time events include cattle sorting on Wednesday. Holdright says, “It’s like the old Western times; you have to go and cut cattle out of the herd. They do it with teams.”

A greased pig competition will be held for the children on Wednesday as well, she says with a laugh.

“They can go in and chase the pig and oh, it will be really greased.”

Also for children and youth is a NASCAR video game competition, an egg and spoon race, inflatable games (some are made for adults as well), and laser tag, to name just a few examples.

The fair has some new draft horse classes, including 4-in-hand (two pairs hooked together) and possibly a 6-in-hand.

A unicorn hitch that brings three horses together will be demonstrated.

Other popular events and activities include the Woodsmen’s competition, the open lighthorse show, the special horse pull and special ox pull on Friday and Saturday respectively, the Saturday arm wrestling competition, numerous equestrian, horse and oxen competitions, and, of course, lawn tractor races, Holdright says.

“The supe them up and do those little suckers ever move.

She says the expanding fair is another example of the expanding use of the fairgrounds in general this summer. “There were only two weekends when something wasn’t going on there. It’s been busy all summer and we’re making even bigger plans for next year.”