Local entertainers, helpers being sought

It’s still early June, but preparations for the 2016 Park County Fair already are well underway.

Tickets for the 2016 Park County Fair’s grandstand events — ranging from races to a concert by country musician Terri Clark — went on sale on Wednesday. They’re available at www.parkcountyfair.com.

In addition to buying tickets, people planning to submit any exhibits to the fair can also visit the fair’s website to submit their entries. Hard copies of the entry forms can also be obtained and submitted at the fair office in Powell or the 4-H and University of Wyoming Extension Office in the Park County Courthouse in Cody. Entries are due no later than 5 p.m. on July 1.

More information — including the fair premium book — is available on the fair website. Hard copies of the book should be available at the fair office and other locations by next week.

Fair organizers are also continuing to look for locals willing to lend their time and talents to the July 26-30 event.

Park County Events Coordinator Echo Renner said this year’s fair will feature more free entertainment than the 2015 edition. That includes seeking more locals to feature on the free stage — ranging from local musicians willing to participate in a “Battle of the Bands” to cloggers.

“We want to get more local entertainers like that — like young people who are magicians and fun cool things like that,” Renner said. She also wants to find local youth willing to sing the national anthem before the fair’s grandstand events.

The fair will host auditions for free stage acts beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday at the fairgrounds’ pavilion; auditions for would-be national anthem singers start at 3:30 p.m. To schedule an audition, contact the events and fair office at 754-5421 or info@parkcountyfair.com.

Help is being sought in less prominent positions, too. The fair still needs superintendents for several open classes — including photography, floriculture, needle arts and drawings and paintings — and for the 4-H cat show and the 4-H/FFA youth beef cattle show.

Renner also hopes to find a volunteer group to clean out the grandstands the morning after each fair event; they could receive free admission tickets and keep any of the aluminum cans they collect in exchange.

Last year was Renner’s first fair as its organizer and she said she was “blown away” by how many locals lend a hand to put on the event.

“It’s amazing to me just the number of people that come together to make this fair happen,” she said.