Giant elephant ears, fluffy colorful clouds of cotton candy, live music nightly, carnival rides from mild to wild and of course, cattle, pigs and chickens galore will fill the Linn County Fair & Expo Center July 15-17 as the Linn County Fair returns live, according to Fair Board President Kris Latimer.
“It will be three days instead of four – and things could change at any time, depending on the restrictions that may remain in place by the governor – but we are working toward getting back to normal,” she said.
Latimer added that there may be some restrictions on how many people can be on the fair site at a given time and vendor booths will be spread out to meet social distancing guidelines.
Latimer said nightly entertainment will include Blue Oyster Cult on Thursday and Tyler Farr on Saturday. Friday night’s act is in the process of being booked.
Concerts are free with admission, but reserved seats are available starting at $22, which includes fair admission. Reserved seating will be limited as always. Online reservations only.
Scott Schuler of KRKT radio will emcee the nightly concerts.
Blue Oyster Cult has sold more than 25 million records since its founding in 1972, including perhaps its most famous song, “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” along with “Burnin’ For You,” and “Godzilla.”
In 2020, Blue Oyster Cult released its latest album, “The Symbol Remains,” to critical acclaim.
Tyler Farr has charted eight singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, including “A Guy Walks into a Bar” which hit No. 1 in 2015.
He has also written several top hits for other artists including “Hey, Y’All” for Cole Swindell and “She’s Just Like That,” for Joe Nichols.
The Missouri native is a classically trained opera singer and was a tenor in Missouri’s All-State Choir.
Thursday, July 15, will be Military and Senior Day. Seniors free and military free with military ID. Sponsors are Linn-Co Federal Credit Union and K2 Creative.
Friday, July 16, is Family Day sponsored by Howerton, Hopkin, Kennedy & Clark.
Saturday, July 17, will be Health Day sponsored by Samaritan Health Services.
“We encourage people to get advance concert tickets early,” Latimer said. “There will be limited seating.”
The always-popular Family Land will be back as well as the Davis Carnival Northwest rides, Latimer said.
“The annual 4-H and FFA auction on Saturday into the Calapooia Arena,” Latimer said. “Wayne White will have shows in the arena on Thursday and Friday nights.”
Latimer said last year’s decision to cancel the fair was difficult.
“Fortunately, we have leaders who have a vision of getting things back to normal as quickly as possible,” Latimer said. “I give a lot of credit to Commissioner (Roger) Nyquist who is in constant contact with the governor’s office and has helped us make informed decisions along the way.”
Joining Latimer and Nyquist on the Fair Board are Steve Mote, Damon Martin, Kerry Johnson, Ed Perlenfein and Mike Huber.
Latimer praised the Linn County Fair and Expo staff for shifting gears many times during the past year.
Director Randy Porter and operations supervisor Kris Barnes said several maintenance projects were completed.
“We installed new LED lighting in the arena,” Porter said. “It will greatly improve aesthetics and reduce expenses.”
Barnes said new bollards to carry electrical loads were installed. There is new signage, a new ticket booth and much more.
For more information, visit: linncountyfair.com
– Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer