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2008 Citrus County Fair!
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 17, 2008
Click here for Citrus County Fair Assoc.
Belle City Amusements workers Ryan Shott, left, and Chris Armstrong position the front of this fiberglass car high atop the Rock and Roll ride Thursday morning at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. The fast-paced, head-banging ride is comprised of some 800 parts and more than 6,500 lights, according to those piecing it together. The fair and its ride-filled midway opens at 5 p.m. today at the Citrus County Fairgrounds, just south of Inverness.
The Citrus County Fair is all about tradition, and that includes the location as well.
The fun kicks off today as the fair marks its 60th year at the fairgrounds on U.S. 41, just south of Inverness.
Fair manager Hal Porter said the 28-acre fairgrounds has served Citrus County well over the years.
“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this place,” Porter said.
The earliest two structures, named after Harley Levins and Charlie Jacobs, were built in the 1950s. Other buildings followed and the most recent addition, the outdoor livestock arena, came along in 2003 and is set for expansion once the fair ends.
A 25-member fair association oversees the fair and the grounds. The fairgrounds have actually shrunk somewhat as the fair leases the Citrus County Speedway and deeded to the county land for the auditorium and former extension office.
“Who knew we’d be bursting at the seams?” Porter said.
With the fairgrounds surrounded by the county airport on one side and city sprayfields on the other, Porter said expansion potential is limited.
“If the city ever retires the sprayfields, we’d be interested in that,” he said.
Moving the fairgrounds to Lecanto is not out of the question, but definitely not in the near future either, he said.
“It’s not out of the question that we could sell this and get 100 acres and start over,” Porter said, “but it’d be extremely hard.”
Fair association president Nell Mayberry said the community has too much invested – in time, effort and results – to consider moving the fair.
“We have so much on the grounds right now,” she said. “For us to leave those grounds, it would cost us a fortune to do it. Millions of dollars. We don’t have millions of dollars.”
Porter said the only drawback to the Inverness location, which he said is perception more than anything else, is that the fair is sometimes referred to as an east Citrus fair.
“We don’t believe that,” he said. “We want the whole county be represented here. This is everybody’s fair.”
About one-quarter of the fair association’s members live in Crystal River or Homosassa.
Mayberry said the fair’s location does not exclude anyone in Citrus County from participating.
“Just like we don’t have Fort Island Beach (in Inverness),” she said. “I don’t feel that’s a west side beach. That’s Citrus County’s beach.”
Mayberry said the fair is a traditional time for old friends from throughout the county to gather.
“People will make the time to come to visit at the fair when they don’t usually meet other people at any other time,” she said. “They want to see their friends.”
* WHAT: Citrus County Fair.
* WHEN: Today through Saturday.
* WHERE: Fairgrounds on U.S. 41, south of State Road 44, Inverness.
* TODAY’S SPECIAL: $1 entry, $1 rides. Gates open at 5 p.m.
* ON THE WEB: www.citruscountyfair.com.Fair Schedule — Tuesday through Saturday
By Chronicle
FAIR SCHEDULE
TUESDAY
* “Senior Citizens Day:” $3 Senior Citizens 55 & older; $5 general admission, 12 and older; $3, ages 6 to 11; free, ages 5 & younger.
* Free Parking.
* 10 a.m., exhibit buildings open.
* Citrus Shrine Club, Jacobs Building.
* Citrus Railroad Exhibit, Otto Allen Building U.S. 41.
* Circle C Petting Farm & Pony Rides, U.S. 41.
* Charles & Yvonne Viet, organ grinder.
* 10:15 – Roy Wentworth, plays guitar and sings old country, auditorium.
* 10:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 11 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* 11:15 – Bob Loughmiller and Friends, harp player, auditorium.
* 11:30 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 12:15 p.m. – Mark Bowser, gospel music, auditorium.
* 1 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 1:30 – Tall Tex-Strolling.
* Bob Loughmiller and Friends, Harp player, auditorium.
* 2:15 – Greg Sterling-Strolling.
* 2:30 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* 3 – Youth Heifer Show & Showmanship, livestock complex.
* 4 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 4:15 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 5 – Belle City Midway opens.
* 5 to 10 p.m. Citrus County Chronicle Midway Special; unlimited rides with Midway armband ($18) with Chronicle coupon, Regular price $20.
* 6 p.m. – The United States Army Field Band and Chorus, auditorium.
* Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 7 – Youth Swine Show, livestock complex.
* 7:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* 8:45 – Cathy Brainard, gospel music, auditorium.
* 9 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 10 – exhibit buildings close.
WEDNESDAY
* $5, general admission, 12 and older; $3, ages 6 to 11; free, 5 and younger.
* Free Parking.
* 5 p.m. – exhibit buildings open.
* Citrus Shrine Club, Jacobs Building.
* Citrus Railroad Exhibit, Otto Allen Building U.S. 41.
* Circle C Petting Farm and Pony Rides, U.S. 41.
* Charles & Yvonne Viet, organ grinder.
* Belle City Midway opens.
* 5:30 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 6:30 – Pre-Teen Pageant, auditorium.
* 6:45 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 7 – Youth Steer Show, livestock complex.
* Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 7:45 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 8 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* 9:15 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* 10 – exhibit buildings close.
THURSDAY
* Pre-opening events (enter south gate only).
* 1 p.m. – Youth Swine Showmanship, livestock complex.
* 4 – Youth Poultry Showmanship, livestock complex.
* $5, general admission, 12 and older; $3, ages 6 to 11; free, 5 and younger.
* Free Parking.
* 5 p.m. – exhibit buildings open.
* Citrus Shrine Club, Jacobs Building.
* Citrus Railroad Exhibit, Otto Allen Building U.S. 41.
* Circle C Petting Farm and Pony Rides, U.S. 41.
* Charles & Yvonne Viet, organ grinder.
* Belle City Midway opens.
* Youth Poultry Show, livestock complex.
* Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 5:15 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 5:30 – Tonia Krause, singer, auditorium.
* 6:15 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* 6:30 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 7 – Meat Pen of Rabbit Auction, livestock complex.
* Youth Steer Auction, livestock complex.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* James and Linda King, musical duo, auditorium.
* 7:30 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 8 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* Tres Banda, Christian music, auditorium.
* 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Midnight Magic, $20.
* 9 – The Robinson Family Show, main gate stage.
* 9:15 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* James and Linda King, musical duo, auditorium.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* 10 – exhibit buildings close.
FRIDAY
* School Day – students free until 5 p.m.
* $5, general admission, 12 and older; $3, ages 6 to 11; free, 5 and younger.
* Free Parking.
* 10 a.m. – exhibit buildings open.
* Citrus Shrine Club, Jacobs Building.
* Citrus Railroad Exhibit, Otto Allen Building U.S. 41.
* Circle C Petting Farm and Pony Rides, U.S. 41.
* Charles & Yvonne Viet, organ grinder.
* Belle City Midway opens.
* 10:15 – Maria VanDerleek, German Harp, auditorium.
* 10:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Midway School Day special, $20.
* The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 11:15 – Taylor Harrison, Singer-Auditorium.
* 11:30 – Greg Sterling-Strolling.
* Noon to 1:15 p.m. – youth games and activities, auditorium.
* 1 – Youth Steer Showmanship, livestock complex.
* Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 1:30 – Darlene Carlson and Frank Curtis, auditorium.
* Tall Tex, strolling.
* 2:15 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 2:30 – The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 3 – Donald Pierson, magic act, auditorium.
* 4 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 4:15 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* Dominique Newcomb, singer, auditorium.
* 5:30 – Noise Control, musical band, auditorium.
* 6 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 6:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 6:45 – Michael Evangelista, singer and guitar player, auditorium.
* 7 – Meat Pen of Poultry Auction, livestock complex.
* Youth Swine Auction, livestock complex.
* 7:30 – Ronald Pierson, singer and guitar player, auditorium.
* The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 8:30 – Noise Control, musical band, auditorium.
* 9 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 10 – exhibit buildings close.
SATURDAY
* $5, general admission, 12 and older; $3, ages 6 to 11; free, 5 and younger.
* Free Parking.
* 10 a.m. – exhibit buildings open.
* Citrus Shrine Club, Jacobs Building.
* Citrus Railroad Exhibit, Otto Allen Building U.S. 41.
* Circle C Petting Farm and Pony Rides, U.S. 41.
* Charles & Yvonne Viet, organ grinder.
* Belle City Midway opens.
* Youth Horse Showmanship, livestock complex.
* 10:15 – Michael Evangelista, singer and guitar player, auditorium.
* 10:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 11 – Cross Cut Saw Contest, livestock complex.
* The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 11:15 – Taylor Harrison, singer, auditorium.
* 11:30 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 12:15 p.m. – Ronald Pierson, singer and guitar player, auditorium.
* 1 to 6 – Daytime Magic, $20.
* 1 – Open Meat Goat Show, livestock complex.
* Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 1:30 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* Tres Banda, Christian music, auditorium.
* 2:15 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 2:30 – The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 3:15 – Donald Pierson, magic act, auditorium.
* 3:45 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 4:15 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* Amicus Dei, Christian band, auditorium.
* 4:30 – Special Auction and Awards, livestock complex.
* 5 – Greg Sterling, main gate stage.
* 5:15 – Michael Ray, country singer, auditorium.
* 6:15 – Paisley Greer, singer, auditorium.
* 7:30 – Tonia Krause, singer, auditorium.
* 7:45 – Tall Tex, strolling.
* 8 – The Robinson Family, main gate stage.
* 8:15 – Greg Sterling, strolling.
* 8:45 – Michael Ray, country singer, auditorium.
* 10 – End of the 2008 fair.
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