Concert, carnival and other events all week

The 2016 Park County Fair is here, and with it comes a full slate of entertainment, vendors and a slew of exhibits ranging from animals to artwork.

For a full run-down of this week’s events, check out the special Fair Edition inserted in today’s issue of the Powell Tribune.

Pig mud wrestling will kick off the fair’s grandstand entertainment tonight (Tuesday) with free admission, followed by a series of ticketed events: an Arenacross event with motorcycle and side-by-side racing on Wednesday, a Bump ‘N Run Race on Thursday, a performance by Canadian country musician Terri Clark on Friday and the fan-favorite Demolition Derby, which will help close out the fair on Saturday night.

“A lot of people had asked us to move the concert to Friday (from the Thursday of last year’s fair), so we’re expecting a better crowd for that,” said Park County Events Coordinator Echo Renner.

Kalispell, Montana, indie-rockers Marshall Catch will open Friday’s concert at 7 p.m. with Clark hitting the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Carnival Midway Attractions is returning for the fair; its mix of rides and other attractions will open at 6 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) and run until 11 p.m. The carnival will then operate from noon to midnight Wednesday through Saturday.

Plenty of local talent will also be on display this year. A whopping 8,087 exhibits have been submitted — running the gamut from pigs and poultry to pies and photography. It’s the most submissions since the fair office started electronically tracking them, Renner said, calling it “so exciting.”

Animals will be displayed in their respective barns, with static 4-H exhibits in Bicentennial Hall and static open class exhibits in the new exhibit hall.

Fairgoers may also notice a bit more free entertainment.

Two acts are returning: hypnotist and “phenomenist” Michael Mezmer and contemporary circus performers Mango and Dango.

“Everything else is new,” Renner said, referring to acts that include a rattlesnake show and a bubble-spewing tower. The Pepsi Free Stage will also feature some musical entertainers, including the Lady Luck Trio — which performs oldies and other songs — and a couple local bands. In a new twist, the local Wyoming Desperados Mounted Shooters will put on a free exhibition at 5 p.m. Friday in the horse arena behind the grandstands.

The excitement of the fair will also spread to downtown Powell on Saturday morning, with the 10 a.m. Park County Fair Parade.

To try boosting the fair’s revenues amid a tighter county budget, the fair board raised the price of weekly admission and weekly parking passes from $10 to $15 each. Daily admission and parking passes remain $5 apiece.

The fair will offer free admission today (Tuesday) and until 1 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.