The schedule is set and the fair catalogs are being printed!

Thanks to event sponsor, The Journal-Times for getting those out and about in the region. The publication will appear in this week's Grayson Journal-Enquirer and Olive Hill Times and then will be inserted into the Shopping News to reach Elliott and Morgan counties.

The fair catalog is the best place to look for rules, regulations and other info about participation in the 4-H, FFA, Open Livestock shows and all the Horticulture, Agriculture and Cultural Arts entries. (Those are the ones where your produce, quilt, carving or candy might win a coveted blue ribbon!)

For entry forms and rules on other events, like Demo Derby, Truck Tug and Pageant, the website has PDFs of the forms you'll need to compete -- so click around and find what you need right here!

You will also find the sponsors page in the catalog. Those businesses have stepped up and made a commitment to help the fair grow and be even better this year. The Fair Board is so very grateful for all of those participants and we hope you will reward them by shopping with them.  

As sponsors come on board, we can see that 2008's Fair is sure to set records for participation. We are so pleased that many of our sponsors remain with us year after year -- and we welcome those that are new to the great promotional opportunities at the fair.

Close to 10,000 people will visit the fairgrounds during the week of the fair, and that's a lot of chances to promote a business or an organization.  

The successful promoters know that what works best is finding an activity that draws people to your exhibit and gives you a chance to connect one-on-one with them. That's not as hard as it sounds... and actually, is one of the more enjoyable parts of the fair experience.

For example, Carmichael Equipment has turned the hay bale toss into a favorite event. It's free, it's fun and at the end of the week -- champions are announced. There are lots of other great ideas -- simple games or challenges that adapt well to an exhibit at the county fair... stuff like: who's the best corn-hole player in the county, casting with a rod and reel, spinning a wheel for small prizes, letting kids try on a firefighter's helment, and on and on. Each gives you and your business the chance to have a little fun and get to know a potential new client.

For more information on becoming a sponsor, click below to get a sponsorship contract that details the levels of participation and the perks that come with your involvement.

CLICK HERE FOR SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT and INFORMATION 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! 

Wow! The line-up for Carter County Thunder is going to kick-off the July Fourth holiday in a BIG WAY tonight at the fairgrounds. Get ready for the pyrotechnic display of the year -- and there's not a better place to view it than under the stars at the fairgrounds. Arrive early and enjoy the music. Walk about and get some great food. Hang out with your friends and get re-acquainted with your neighbors -- it's going to be a great event.

The weather forecast is calling for "scattered showers," and you know what that means ... it might be pouring at your house but dry as the desert at the fairgrounds. Also, those showers tend to be fast moving and a little rain won't dampen the fireworks display. WGOH/WUGO GO-Radio will be doing some remotes from the grounds, so stay tuned to them for details.

Thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers and partner organizations who have helped Lincoln Theinert and his Carter County Thunder Crew put this showcase together! It's a community-wide effort and a first-class event.  We hope to see you there!

Tonight at the fairgrounds, 7 p.m. it's time for the regular meeting. With Carter County  Thunder only a few days away, June 3, the CCFB will be hearing the final details on that event and looking forward to a re-cap of the big RudyFest that was hugely successful with tons of campers and great bluegrass music.

Big shout-out to the RudyFest crews for getting the grounds looking oh-so-good for the first event of the season!

Plus, all the helicopters and planes already know that there's a Corn Maze being built at the grounds! Blake Cooke and Don Cooke have designed and plotted what's sure to be a hit come September. Blake has really worked hard and Don and the whole Cooke family have been putting in the long hours making this 5+ acre amusement possible. The CCFB and the EC and WC FFA have been on hand to help... but the brains behind this large scale artwork belong to Blake. Great job, guys!