Fresh fun at county fair

CLOVIS — Now entering its 98th year, there’s not much reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the Curry County Fair.

Hence the theme, “Tried and True.” But that doesn’t mean there won’t still be a few things fresh this year, too.

The fair starts Tuesday morning and continues through Saturday night; according to Events Center General Manager Joelle Reed, some of the new spectacles include monster trucks, high-dive performers, a “nightly performance of speed chainsaw carving,” and “water bubbles,” which involve participants “set loose in a pool of water” while enclosed in a six-foot diameter bubble.

Like Paul Simon said, “These are the days of miracle and wonder.”

Also new is an expanded concert lineup, Reed said, with three acts per night Thursday through Saturday. As music goes, look additionally for an air guitar contest Friday and local gospel choirs on Saturday.

The winning photo opportunity, however, will likely be with the installation unveiled last week by students from Texico High School’s Future Farmers of America group: a “stand-in” static display of the letters F, A and R, with a gap for a person to hold place as the letter “I.”

The towering, metal, white letters are situated at ground level on the fairgrounds outside the food court and figure into a photo contest by the management company Spectra.

Bring your camera and practice your upright pose, then.

Of course, the fair’s not the fair without the standards: livestock shows, team roping, military appreciation night, special needs day and both the Little Buck-a-Roo Rodeo and “Little Miss Curry County Pageant” are on the lineup, as are contests in the following: ag mechanics, home arts, dog agility and “meet the breeds,” cheese carving and salsa.

The High Plains Historical Society returns with “Curry County’s Oldest House,” while the Old Timers Celebration is set for Saturday morning, and special carnival ride discounts are available Tuesday through Thursday.

Reed said “longevity was a factor” in selecting this year’s fair theme and that it was “really awesome to be part of the tradition.”

Will longevity be a factor in the turtle race on Saturday morning? There’s only one way to find out.

Look online for a detailed schedule, as the programming runs from 8 a.m. till after sundown each day.

How about the weather? Will it rain like usual? As of this weekend, the National Weather Service forecasts mostly sunny daytime temperatures starting Tuesday with a rising chance of showers and thunderstorms at night as the week advances.

Finally, some housekeeping: will upcoming repair work shut down the South Prince Street overpass before the fair starts? Probably not, according to County Manager Lance Pyle. He said he could confirm as much Monday, but as of this weekend he was 90 percent sure it wouldn’t be closed for work until Aug. 20.

The work will continue about nine months from there, so enjoy the convenience of soaring south across Prince before a new normal sets in.