By WARREN SCOTT
The Weirton Daily Times
WELLSBURG, W.Va. — The Brooke County Fair will offer a variety of entertainment and activities, from circus-style sideshows of old to a disc golf tournament, when it returns to Brooke Hills Park Sept. 8-10.
Patty Lish, who co-chairs the event with Cathy Hervey, said each year they and the volunteer fair board try to add something new to the fair’s always-full schedule.
This year’s additions will include appearances by World of Wonders, a traveling circus stunt show that includes an escape artist and others; a contest for children’s battery-powered vehicles sponsored by the Ohio Valley Jeep Alliance on Sept. 9; and a tournament using the park’s new disc golf course on Sept. 10.
Darla Burns of Wellsburg will bring the Brooke County Rocks craze to the fair. Burns and others have been painting smooth stones, then placing them in random places for people to find, post on Facebook and hide again. With support from Koppers, Burns will have stones for fair-goers of all ages to paint for a contest, with prizes at 5 p.m. Sept. 10.
The fair will include the return of Revolutionary War and Renaissance re-enactment groups, the Greenfield Petting Farm, chainsaw carver Jeff Roscoe, Black Diamond Wrestling, a demolition derby and a variety of food, crafts and other items for sale.
Admission is $5, which includes access to carnival rides and a mobile zipline and participation in a variety of contests held during the fair. Three-day passes may be purchased for $10 at the park’s club house.
Carnival rides are slated to open at 4 p.m. on Sept. 8, 11 a.m. on Sept. 9 and noon on Sept. 10.
Opening ceremonies will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 and include a release of butterflies, courtesy of Butterflies by Heather, and a welcome by Janice McFadden, park manager.
A team from Franklin Primary School will attempt to retain the traveling trophy won by the school in last year’s tug-of-war tournament between Brooke County primary schools. The contest will begin at noon Sept. 9.
Last year the fair’s annual Twins Day contest was expanded to include triplets and other siblings from multiple births. It will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 10, with registration at 12:30 p.m.
The weekend’s slate of contests includes a pie-eating contest on Sept. 8; Queen of Queens pageant, truck mud bog, chili cookoff, Fair Idol singing contest, Domino’s pizza-eating contest, mud volleyball tournaments for middle and high school students and lawn tractor pull, all on Sept. 9; and the demolition derby, miniature golf and cornhole tournaments, horseshoe contest, children’s tractor pedal pull (for ages 3-10), scavenger hunt for youth and adults, Guitar Hero and ice cream eating contests, Sept. 10.
The Brooke County 4-H program also host cutest baby and baked good contests and a 4K run through the park at 11 a.m. Sept. 9. Registration for the run will be at 10 a.m. The cost is $10 for those who register before Monday and $15 after that.
For the cutest baby contest, participants should decorate a large coffee can with the child’s photos and cut a slot for fair-goers to put in money, which determines the winner and goes to the 4-H program.
The cans should be brought to the West Virginia University Extension office at 840 Charles St. before Sept. 7 or to the 4-H tent at the fair no later than 7 p.m. Sept. 8.
Judging for the baked goods contest will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 9, with judging at 1 p.m. Entry forms and a $3 entry fee should be turned to the extension office no later than Sept. 7.
Entry forms can be found through the contest link at www.brookecountyfair.com or at the extension office.
Performers with World of Wonders will present shows at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sept. 8, with the escape artist at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sept. 9, with the escape artist at 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 10, with the escape artist at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The entertainment lineup also includes Black Diamond Wrestling at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8; Lynn & Roz at 1 p.m. and the Nathan King at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9; and Chelsea Matta at noon, Easy Street at 1:30 p.m. and Stevie Lynn at 4 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Strolling magician Jim Tate the Magic Man will be on the fairgrounds from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9 and 10.
Scott can be contacted at [email protected].
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