Family fun lined up for the fair this weekend

Families, community members and exhibitors alike are all preparing for the annual Wheat Land Communities’ Fair, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 29.

The event provides visitors with four fun-filled days of family friendly activities, youth exhibitor competitions and exciting rodeo action.

The fair is welcoming back and adding a variety of activities and food booths for guests to enjoy.

The highlight of the weekend events includes the community parades and barbecue in Ritzville City Park. Friday and Saturday night are filled with nerve-racking, heart-pounding competition in the Ritzville Rodeo Arena.

Community Parade

Before the main parade begins, the children of the communities have the opportunity to showcase their character and outfits. The Junior Parade begins at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, and the theme is “Wonderland.”

All children participating in the parade should meet at the Dr. Frank R. Burroughs’ Home and Museum by 10:30 a.m. The Burroughs’ Home is located at 408 West Main Avenue.

The annual Ritzville Community Parade fills the streets at 11 a.m. and highlights many outstanding individuals, businesses and community members from Ritzville and the surrounding areas.

Barbecue in the park

The Ritzville Gun Club is hosting the annual barbecue in the Ritzville City Park on Saturday, Aug. 30, that provides visitors with a traditional barbecue lunch.

The barbecue begins at noon when plates are piled high with a barbecued sandwich, baked beans, chips and bottled water or soda, all for only $8 a plate.

Fair and Rodeo activities and attractions

The food experience at a fair is just as important for visitors as the exhibits and activities throughout the fairgrounds. This year, the Wheat Land Communities’ Fair is providing visitors with an excellent selection of family favorite foods and treats.

Below is the list of vendors and foods that are scheduled to appear at the fair:

The Eagles provides hot breakfast, and milkshakes in the afternoon; Lind-Ritzville FFA is making hamburgers, barbecued beef, chicken strips, french fries and more; LRS cheerleaders are serving Krispy Kreme donuts, corn on the cob, watermelon, apple, etc; Haystack Palace is cooking tacos, burritos, nachos and more; JV Concessions have a variety of foods with elephant ears, cotton candy, hand dipped hot dogs and more; Ralston Grange is selling Kraut runzas, German sausage, homemade popcorn balls; Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce booth has ice cream; Ritzville Lions Club is cooking chicken; and the Ritzville Ministerial Association/Food Pantry with pies.

A family-favorite fair tradition, the Talent Show, is returning to the Lions Club Amphitheater at the fairgrounds on Thursday, Aug. 28, beginning at 6 p.m. The talent show features a variety of entertainers and performers, and is guaranteed entertainment for all in the crowd.

Joining the lineup for live entertainment this year are the Hometown Hooligans and Matt Baker: Stunt Comedian. The Hometown Hooligans are performing in the beer garden next to the Ritzville Rodeo arena around 9 p.m. on Saturday, after the conclusion of the evening’s rodeo performance.

Matt Baker takes center stage on Sunday at 2 p.m. to provide families with quality entertainment, both through his jokes and his stunt routines. Baker is a well-known stunt comedian and travels putting on his act for groups. He is expected to be the highlight of entertainment at the fair this year.

A new attraction this year is the Cowboy Boot Camp, which allows kids of all ages to participate in activities and try their hand at being a cowboy. The hands-on activity stations are open during fair hours on Friday and Saturday.

Children are welcome to try participate in gold panning, roping a calf, milking a cow, racing on pedal tractors and more.