Custer County Fair starts Thursday

The Custer County Fair returns to the Custer County Fairgrounds in Hermosa Thursday evening, with another four days full of a variety of events for young and old. 
The action begins Thursday, Aug. 8,  at 5 p.m. with the free kickoff supper. That is followed by the Barn Yard Olympics at 7 p.m., a competition of team games with events such as goat roping, bucket race, sack race, cow milking, egg race and more. The kickoff supper is sponsored by Black Hills Electric Co-op, Farm Credit Services, Basin Electric, Pop’s Grocery, Belle Fourche and Phillip Livestock and Bishop Beef. 
On Friday, all fair displays are viewable to the public. There will be hands-on livestock judging and open class showing all day. 
A free barbecue sponsored by Custer State Park and First Interstate Bank of Custer will be from 5-6:30 p.m.
At  7 p.m. the annual Hermosa Roping Club Ranch Rodeo and the Ride for the Brand Ranch Bronc Ride will take place, preceded by a calcutta at 6:30 p.m.
Teams of four will compete in fun-filled cowboy events at the ranch rodeo, including the wild horse catch, team doctoring, team penning, obstacle race and more. The winner will be entered in the Central Sates Fair Ranch Rodeo later in the month.
The Ride for the Brand Ranch Bronc Ride features local ranchers vying to see which riders will be able to ride two head of bucking horses in a ranch saddle to take home the Ride for the Brand title. 
From 9 p.m. to midnight there will be live music by “Phatt Daddy.” 
Saturday sees 4-H and open class entries continue. The day kicks off with livestock exhibits, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs checking in and getting all cleaned up for the show. 
At 9 a.m. the Ranch Sort begins, with categories for open, rancher, rancher/ open, youth (16 and under and three-man two-gate). This is also the time to check in for the cornhole tournament, as well as the opening of the kids carnival, which will run until 5 p.m. The cornhole tournament begins at 10 a.m. The tournament is double elimination with a cost of $40 per team, with a limit of 30 teams.
At 11 a.m. is the Good Old Driving Days event. Spectators can watch the hitch and drive course, feed race, water race, log pull and more — all horse- drawn. 
Live entertainment begins at noon and runs until 7 p.m.  Also beginning at noon is the Pee Wee Stock Show, showmanship round robin, commercial beef show and registered beef show. At 1 p.m. is barbecue meat first turn-in as part of the Blazin’ Barnyard Barbecue competition. This amateur competition is limited to the first 20 paid entries. Meat will be provided to the teams, along with T-shirts and ice. Entry divisions are chicken, pork ribs and beef brisket.
Prizes will be awarded in each meat division along with an overall grand champion. The public is welcome to purchase tokens to sample the contestants’ food.
At 4 p.m. Saturday the annual Beers & Ears fundraiser begins at the Hermosa American Legion Post Home.
Saturday evening will see the  annual Custer County Classic Bull Riding at 7 p.m. Twenty-five bull riders will compete for a cash pot with six riders coming back to the short round for the winning monies.
The fair keeps it rocking Saturday night following the bull riding with another concert by Phatt Daddy from 9 p.m. to midnight.
The fair rolls into Sunday with a pancake breakfast sponsored by Crawford Livestock, Great Western Bank - Rapid City, CBH Cooperative, Custer County Fair, Hermosa Roping Club, Black Hills Meat Co. and Nelson’s Oil and Gas from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and a church service at 9:30 a.m. at the fairgrounds.
Also on Sunday, the plant swap check-in begins at 8 a.m. Swap plants may be picked up from 10-11 a.m. Plants must be potted and labeled and swaps must be one for one. 
At 11 a.m. the annual parade will take place through Hermosa and noon is the start time for the annual car show featuring hot rod, classic and antique cars.
At 1 p.m. the Ice Cream Crankoff will take place, as well as a horseshoe tournament and the annual Play Day. Play Day is for children up to age 18 and features a variety of events such as stickhorse, flag, potato and egg races.
Ice cream for the crankoff may be created by hand or electric freezers. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places. The public can taste the ice cream at 2 p.m. for 50 cents a scoop.
The horseshoe tournament has a $5 entry fee and is open to men and women with elimination singles and double playoffs.
At 1:30 p.m. the Black Hills in Motion Cloggers will perform, followed by the car show awards at 2:30 p.m.
For more information,  visit custercountyfair.com or facebook.com/Custer County Fair.
 

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