PORT ANGELES — With a theme of “County Nights & Carnival Lights,” the four-day 102nd Clallam County Fair kicks off Thursday and will offer a two-day rodeo, a demolition derby, a logging show, a carnival, animal exhibits and a variety of food and entertainment.
Gates will open at the fair at 8:30 a.m., with buildings opening at 9 a.m. daily on the fairgrounds at 1608 W. 16th St., Port Angeles. The gates will close at 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The carnival opens at noon each day; it closes at 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 7 p.m. Sunday. Advance sale carnival wristbands for $30 each can be found at https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/399/Fairgrounds.
Admission to the fair is cash only. Adult admission is $10 (day pass) or $30 (season), while seniors (65-79 and older) and students (ages 13-17) gain admission for $8 daily and $24 for the season. Youths (ages 6-12) get in for $7 for the day or $15 for the season, while active military are $7 for a day pass, $21 for the season. Kids 5 and younger — as well as seniors 80 and older — get in free. Youths (6-12) get free admission on opening day.
Grandstand events
Over at the Clallam County Fair Grandstand venue on Friday will be the Western Games demonstration from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Draft horses — Belgians, Percherons and Clydesdales — will demonstrate their skills while pulling logs and carts at the Draft Horse Show set for 2 p.m. Friday.
The first day of the rodeo will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, with bull riding, team roping, team penning, bronco riding, clowns and more. It will continue on Saturday, with events from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Saturday, loggers from across the Pacific Northwest will show off their skills with axes, saws and more at the Logging Show, set for 11 a.m.
Capping the fair will be the Demolition Derby, slated for 4 p.m. on Sunday.
All grandstand events are free except for the Demotion Derby, which requires a $15 ticket as well as fair admission; tickets are sold near the BMX track on the west end of the fairgrounds, starting at 9 a.m. Sunday.
Exhibits
Local youths will showcase their animal-raising skills, and the animals themselves, at the fairgrounds, a venue that includes three horse barns, two cattle barns, buildings for rabbit/poultry, sheep, goats, dogs and cats.
Local photography, floral, home arts, hobbies/crafts and other arts will be shown in the fair’s various demonstration buildings, and antique farming equipment will be in the field just west of the Wilder Community Stage.
Youngsters can try their hands at the rock climbing wall and bungee venue, or enjoy a pony ride and other activities at the Kid Zone. There, youngsters can enjoy Strait Foam Fun and check out demonstrations by the Sequim Robotics crew.
Live music
The fair has a number of local and regional acts to keep toes tapping.
Over on the Sunny Farms Center Stage on Thursday will be Indecisive Solo from noon to 1 p.m., the Five Acres Sound Waves Marimbas group from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the Marsh Family Band from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and an encore performance from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Magician Jeff Evans will perform from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
On Friday, the Olympic Peninsula Ukulele Strummers will play from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by performances by Evans at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., IWANT (Improv Without a Net Troupe) will perform from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On Saturday, Dean & the Persuaders will be on the Sunny Farms Stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shula Azhar will offer belly dancing from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and The Secords will take the stage from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. IWANT will return for a performance from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Indecisive Duo will play from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Evans has a trio of shows Saturday, at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Cowboy Church will kick off the Sunny Farms Stage schedule at 8:30 a.m., followed by Buck Ellard at 11 a.m. Evans has magic shows at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Simonson Band of Bones will play from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
At the Wilder Auto Community Stage on Thursday, Buck Ellard will offer country hits from noon to 1 p.m. before two performances from the Kitty Mae Band, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tribute bands honoring Santana will play at 6 p.m. and The Doors at 8 p.m. to close out the evening.
On Friday, the Stardust Big Band will play from noon to 2 p.m. The James Howard Band — a Pacific Northwest group led by Howard, a blues guitarist with more than four decades of experience — will hit the stage from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Saturday, The Happy Soles line dancing group will kick off the day’s entertainment of the Wilder stage from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by Echo at noon. Buttercup Lane will offer rock classics from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and local favorite Black Diamond Junction will be on stage starting at 4 p.m., playing rock’n’roll hits from various decades.
Seattle-based Sweet Emotion, an Aerosmith tribute band, will cap Saturday’s music with a concert from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Sunday, Queens & Aces will play from noon to 1 p.m., with the Indecisive Band playing at 2 p.m., followed by the IWANT improv group at 3:30 p.m. and The Works Band at 5 p.m.
