Ready for a showdown

    Four nights in a row of crowd-pleasing events, plus livestock shows, exhibits from a wide variety of interests, a parade, good food and fun for all ages will highlight the Small Town Showdown at the Phillips County Fair in Holyoke July 25-29.
    The brand-new 87,500-square-foot Phillips County Pavilion and Education Center will be broken in with its first big event next week.
    Among the new events at the fair this year will be the diesel truck and tractor pull that Heartland Pulling Series will bring to town. Competition begins at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27.
    A 250-foot obstacle course based on American Ninja Warrior will give both kids and adults the chance to face off in friendly competition Friday, July 27, from noon-8 p.m. and Saturday, July 28, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. After signing waivers, all ages are welcome to compete.
    The obstacle course, along with inflatables from Lopez Party Rentals, will be set up east of the Boy Scout building at the fairgrounds.
    Following Saturday night’s Bulls Gone Wild! show of bull riding and bullfighting, Ogallala, Nebraska, native and country western singer Lexi Larsen is scheduled to sing in the beer garden at the fairgrounds.
    All-event wristbands are available for a reduced presale price at Jake’s Feed in Holyoke and at Haxtun Town Hall. These wristbands cover the Friday night barbecue and Heartland Pulling tractor and truck pull, as well as Saturday night’s Bulls Gone Wild! and Larsen’s music in the beer garden.
    Daily crowd activities during the 2018 Small Town Showdown follow:
    
Wednesday, July 25
    Wednesday’s events begin with the 4-H horse show/gymkhana at 9 a.m.
    Thrashers softball crew will host a 5K color run and Rocky Mountain oyster/chicken strip meal at 5:30 p.m. Ranch rodeo action will begin at 6 p.m., with the Thrashers corn hole tourney at 8:30 p.m.
    
Thursday, July 26
    At 8:45 a.m. Thursday, the tiny tot rabbit and poultry show will precede the 9 a.m. poultry and rabbit shows. Goat and dairy cow judging will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the catch-it-goat contest and tiny tot goat show.
    Swine judging will begin 30 minutes after the goat/dairy cow judging and will be followed by the tiny tot swine show.
    The beer garden will open at 4 p.m., and Dutch oven cook-off judging will start at 5 p.m. on the south side of the grandstands. Barrel racing at 6 p.m. will round out the Thursday schedule.
    
Friday, July 27
    Livestock spectators can enjoy beef judging at 9 a.m., followed by the adult beef judging show. Sheep judging starts at 1 p.m., followed by the tiny tot sheep show.
    The American Ninja Warrior course will be set up from noon-8 p.m., with horseshoe pitching starting at 1 p.m. The beer garden opens at 3 p.m.
    Parade of champions is set for the show arena at 4 p.m., with 4-H/FFA press time. The rabbit bingo contest will be held after the parade.
    Barbecue activities are set for 5 p.m. in the Biesemeier Room, with entertainment by Equally Delinquent barbershop quartet, as well as Holyoke High School senior Colby Purkeypile.
    Heartland Pulling’s tractor and truck pull will begin at 7 p.m., followed by beer garden and music.
    
Saturday, July 28
    Interocean Avenue will feature the Small Town Showdown parade, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday. The exhibit building at the fairgrounds will also open at that time.
    A riderless horse, led by Tim Becker of Holyoke, will lead the annual fair parade, honoring the late Merle Jackson, who was named this year’s parade grand marshal.
    At 11 a.m., the Orphan Grain Train brat feed is scheduled in the Biesemeier Room at the Event Center.
    American Ninja Warrior course and inflatables will set up again from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Cow patty bingo will begin at 12:30 p.m., with the beer garden opening at noon.
    At 1 p.m., round robin competition will begin, and horseshoe action will resume, while a salsa contest is also scheduled in the Event Center.
    The Junior Livestock Sale will begin at 2:30 p.m. as 4-H and FFA projects enter the sale ring.
    Bulls Gone Wild! bull riding, bullfighting and mutton bustin’ starts at 7 p.m., followed by Larsen at the beer garden at 9:30 p.m.
    
Sunday, July 29
    A community church service, led by Bryan Kroeger, is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning in the stands in the new pavilion.
    The short service is anticipated to last a half hour, finishing for the 9 a.m. start time for release of livestock, general 4-H projects and open show exhibits.
    Livestock release of exhibits will continue through noon, with other projects to be picked up by 3 p.m. Premium payout will be handled from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
    
Larsen meet and greet set for Saturday afternoon at Viaero
    Larsen will hold a meet and greet Saturday afternoon, July 28, from noon-2 p.m. at Viaero Wireless at 106 S. Interocean Ave. in Holyoke.
    Larsen was named by Country Music Awards Magazine as One to Watch. She was able to get her start in country music by funding the recording of her album, “Good Memories,” through a Kickstarter fundraising campaign.
    Her Ogallala fan base was instrumental in helping her raise the funds she needed to release her music. Since moving to Nashville, Tennessee, she has played several sold-out shows and opened for Phil Vassar, Dwight Yoakam and Restless Heart.
    Larsen recently released a brand-new EP, with three fresh singles she helped co-write. From the captivating and voyeuristic “If I Was Bad,” to the heartfelt and moving “Jesus and Me,” Larsen’s songwriting ability and soulful voice are sure to stir a response from her listeners.
    Her previous single, “You Can Leave,” rose to 37 on the Music Row Chart and 53 on Billboard Indicator. Her album, “Good Memories,” is also available on iTunes.
    
Fair princesses reign during this year’s activities
    Josie Schlachter of Holyoke and Gracie Gibson of Haxtun are finishing a year as princesses for the Phillips County Fair. In the absence of a fair queen this year, they are the sitting royalty.
    Meanwhile, one queen candidate and one princess candidate will be competing throughout the fair for 2019 fair royalty honors.
    Janessa Lutze of Holyoke is vying for queen and Megan Walker of Haxtun for princess.
    Kay Schmidt took over the reins as the fair queen coordinator this year and noted a few changes in the program, primarily involving Schlachter and Gibson continuing their reign through the 2018 fair.
    While the 2019 fair queen and princess will be announced at the end of the Phillips County Fair on Saturday, July 28, they won’t be crowned until the Haxtun Corn Festival on Saturday, Sept. 29.
    Lutze and Walker will go through closed interviews with the selection committee Tuesday, July 24, and riding competition is scheduled following the horse show/gymkhana Wednesday, July 25.
    At the Friday, July 27, barbecue in the Biesemeier Room at the Event Center, the girls will give their speeches and answer impromptu questions. They will be assisting with fair events throughout the week, as well.
    Saturday night, July 28, the queen and princess will be announced at the Bulls Gone Wild! event at the fairgrounds.