Fun at the fair gets ‘wild and a little crazy too’

More than 50 years ago, the grandstand at the Perkins County Fair would be filled to capacity to see the likes of Grand Ole’ Opry stars Justin Tubb, “The Duke of Paducah” and Wanda Jackson. 

Shades of yesterday returned to the Perkins County  Fair last week when more than 1,200 people showed up Saturday night to take in the concert that featured opener Whiskey Bent and the long-running country band Sawyer Brown.

The show put the climax on a successful week’s worth of activities providing something for all ages. 

Events included 4-H livestock shows, displays and sale, FFA Farm Olympics,  the Grady Robinson Memorial Ranch Rodeo, mutton bustin’ and massive inflatables on the carnival grounds. 

Fair board President Kasey Kroeker praised his fellow board members for their work to pull off such a big accomplishment as the concert.  

Bringing a concert of that magnitude to the fair was something people couldn’t have imagined five years ago, he noted. 

Kroeker said the board hatched the idea several years ago. They started with a small event featuring Whiskey Bent at the 2019 fair.

They took it up a notch when they announced at that event they’d booked Sawyer Brown for the 2020 fair. 

COVID-19 nixed the 2020 appearance but Sawyer Brown agreed to re-book for this year.

The board began a sponsorship program used by many county fairs to boost entertainment options without using tax dollars. 

Kroeker said the response from Perkins County to the sponsorship program more than exceeded their expectations. 

He was hoping the event could draw 600-700 people in its inaugural year. When he saw a full grandstand before the show, along with people filling the standing-room area   in front of the stage, it made all the hard work the fair board had put in all worth.

“I was smiling from ear-to-ear,” he said. 

Building on this year’s success, the fair board announced Saturday they have booked another well-known country band, BlackHawk, for next year’s concert. 

Kroeker said the board has received many favorable comments about the fair overall.