PIO Before the Fair - 0624

efore the Fair

2022 Fair Photos Provided by PIONEER Staff writers: Cathie Crew, Julie Norwood, Brendan Sanders

2021 Angels of Action Chicken BBQ

(All Photos courtesy/ Angels of Action)

Angels of Action to host annual Chicken BBQ at the fair

BY BRENDAN SANDERS STAFF WRITER

BIG RAPIDS — The smell of chicken barbecue will waft at the Mecosta County Free Fair this July.

Angels of Action will once again host the Chicken BBQ at the Mecosta County Free Fair in July. Set to run July 11-13 on the Mecosta County Fairgrounds, 540 West Ave., Big Rapids, people will be able to get chicken barbecue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

“It is now one of our larger fundraising events. We have La Senorita, which is a golf outing, coming up in August, and then I believe we have two more fundraisers, so, this is a good way for us to get funding and support from the community,” communication coordinator Hailey Dard said.

Adult meals are $15 and include half a chicken, a dinner roll, corn, bottled water, and potentially coleslaw as well. Kids meals are $7. Presale

tickets are being sold at the Old Pioneer Store and Emporium/Kilwins, 118 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. A drive-through will also be available for the event.

Dard said if local businesses wanted to order staff lunches, they can set that up ahead of time and then select a pickup time by contacting Angels of Action directly

This is the third year that Angels of Action has run the Chicken BBQ after Big Rapids Rotary ran the event

for years.

Angels of Action is also looking for more volunteers. Those interested may call Angels of Action at 231639-8140. For more information, visit the Angels of Action site at angelsofaction.org.

Harness racing will once again be held Monday, July 10, and Tuesday, July 11, at the Mecosta County Free Fair.

(Photos courtesy/ Brendan Sanders)

M icro Wrestling newest grandstand event at 2023 Mecosta County Fair

BY BRENDAN SANDERS STAFF WRITER

BIG RAPIDS — The Mecosta County Free Fair is set for another year of action with a new event joining an action pack list of grandstand events: Micro Wrestling.

Beginning on July 10 and running through July 15, the Mecosta County Free Fair will have multiple activities for those young and old, with many fan-favorite grandstand events returning, alongside the first-ever Micro Wrestling match taking place Wednesday, July 12.

“We’ve got Micro Wrestling which is new and very popular around the state. We decided we’d try it,” fair manager John Currie said. “I talked to a lot of fairs who had them the last two years and they said that it’s amazing just the amount of people that come in. So we thought what the heck, let’s try it and see.”

The Micro Wrestling Grandstand event will be 7- 9 p.m. It will cost $12 for advance tickets, $15 at the gate and $40 for ring-side tickets. More information can be found at microwrestling.com/tour-dates.

The rest of the fair week will look the same in terms of grandstand events. Harness racing will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 10, and Tuesday, July 11. The yearly Celebrity Race takes place Tuesday night, and Thursday will be the Super Kicker Rodeo at 7 p.m. Adults cost is $15 for tickets.

Friday will be the return of the MTTP Michigan Truck and Tractor Pull, which was rained out last year. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

Currie said they spent time getting the tractor-pulling track back into

top condition.

“We’ve done a lot of work on the track and getting the truck and tractor pull up to where it should be. We put a lot of clay in that,” Currie said.

The week of grandstand events will be wrapped up with the annual Demolition Derby, hosted by Unique Motor Sports. That event will start at 7 p.m.

Continued from page 4

The rest of the fair schedule goes as follows:

Monday, July 10

• Rabbit Show: 8 a.m.

• Poultry Show: 11 a.m.

• Midway: 5-11 p.m.

• Sheep Show: 6 p.m.

• Horse Demonstrations: 7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 11

• Swine Show: 9 a.m.

• Midway: 1-11 p.m.

• Horse and Pony Show (Fitting and Showmanship): 2 p.m.

• Goat Show: 6 p.m.

Wednesday, July 12

• Market Beef, Market Dairy, and Baby Calf Show: 9 a.m.

• Kids Day Noon to 11 p.m.

• Horse and Pony Show (Jumping, Huntset, Saddleseat, English and Gymkhana): 1 p.m.

• Dairy Breedstock Show: 2 p.m.

Thursday, July 13

• Horse and Pony Show (Trail and Reining): 9 a.m.

• Midway Opens: 1-11 p.m.

• Livestock Auction Sale: 5 p.m.

Friday, July 14

• Horse and Pony Show (Western, Speed and Costume Class): 9 a.m.

• Midway Opens: 1-11 p.m.

Saturday, July 15

• Horse & Pony (Cloverbud and Peewee classes, including Cloverbud Costume Class): 10 a.m.

• Roping and Obstacle Course: 1 p.m.

• Midway Opens: 1-11 p.m.

• Showmanship Sweepstakes: 4 p.m.

For more information on the fair, visit: www.mecostafreefair.com.

2022 Fair Photos Provided by: Cathie Crew, Julie Norwood, Brendan Sanders

C

elebrity harness racers compete for charity

BY BRENDAN SANDERS STAFF WRITER

BIG RAPIDS — Four local community members are set to battle in at the Mecosta County Free Fair’s 2023 Celebrity Harness Race.

Set for Tuesday, July 11, at the Mecosta County Free Fair, four racers representing separate charities — St. Mary Catholic School, the Hemlock Park Improvement Project, Tuba Back and Artworks — will battle it out for two laps around the one-mile dirt oval. Racing is set to begin for

the evening at 5:30 p.m.

“It’s a chance for us to raise money for local charities,” organizer Melissa Scheible said. “We encourage the racers to share the charity of their passion, and so it’s kind of fun to just get smaller charities some recognition just by being able to like to put them out there. I feel like many big charities are always out there, always getting money and publicity. So, for these little charities, it’s kind of just a great event for them to have exposure and to raise a little bit of money for them.”

The four racers will be Katie Bigford, Amy Buse, Jeff Jenerou and Brad Lubahn. Buse will be representing Tuba Bach and earned her ride at last year’s race, winning the bidding process from the Community Foundation. Lubahn will be racing for Artworks after winning an auction at the Artworks Gala. Bigford will be racing for the Hemlock Park Improvement Project and Jenerou will be racing for the St. Mary Catholic School; they won their spots in auctions at the St. Mary Gala.

To go along with the Celebrity Race

will be the overnight racing, wrapping up two days of harness racing at the track. These races will feature many of the more mature and older racing horses in the field.

The night will also feature an infield party throughout the evening. Opening at 6:30 p.m., tickets for adults will cost $20 with kids under 12 years old costing $10. There will be prizes for best dressed adults and children and a cash bar.

Continued on page 11

(Photo courtesy/ Melissa Scheible)

2022 Fair Photos Provided by: Cathie Crew, Julie Norwood, Brendan Sanders

Continued from page 8

“We’ve been hosting this party on the infield since 2006. It’s become a unique tradition in Mecosta County and a great way to raise awareness and funds for many local charities,” Scheible said. “We (the committee) are always so proud of how much fun it is and the turnout we get.”

The Celebrity Race committee consists of Scheible, Jenae Davison, Amanda Currie and Makenzi Currie. Tickets can be purchases from any of the racers, committee members or online at tinyurl.com/mrxrhctw. For more information follow the Celebrity Race Facebook page at facebook.com/TheCelebritySulkyRace.

2022 Harness racing at the Mecosta County Free Fair. (Photo courtesy/Brendan Sanders)

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Saturday, August 19, 2023

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Fair Photos Provided by: Cathie Crew, Julie Norwood, Brendan Sanders