The 76th Annual Gasconade County Fair, Star Spangled Summer, will feature a cooling station during the daily events July 26-29 as the National Weather Service has put the area under a heat advisory from 11 am. Wednesday morning until 9 p.m. on Friday night.

Fair Board member Phyllis Gross said the cooling station will be located near Gate 2.

“Just down from the exhibit hall,” Gross said.

Barb Feagan, a fair board member, added the Gasconade County Health Department will be providing first aid for the fair this year.

“It will be located next to the Sheriff’s Command Post,” Feagan said.

Feagan advised people to be conscientious of the heat.

“Dress appropriately, drink plenty of water,” she said. “There will be fans located throughout the grounds. No coolers are allowed inside the gates, but people can bring water bottles.”

The Exhibit Hall is also air-conditioned and features new exhibits every year.

“This year they are going to have an exhibit about the new building that we are in the process of building,” Gross said.

The new exhibit hall will be built on top of the location of the former hall.

“There will be an informational tent to stop by and check out close to the exhibit hall,” Gross said. “The new hall will be the Gasconade County Fair Youth and Ag Educational Center. There will be a design available to see. It is going to be very fancy with a small kitchenette and meeting room. When it isn’t fair time it can be rented for parties and showers.”

For anyone with mobility issues, the Fair Board Association has arranged for carts.

“We have courtesy carts that will take you anywhere you want to go,” Gross said. “They can pick you up at the gate and take you where ever you want to go.”

Anyone in a Fair Board shirt can radio for a cart or one can be asked for at the Fair Board Office.

“Once you are ready to leave the fair, you can flag somebody down in a Fair Board shirt and they can call a cart for you,” Gross said.

An opening ceremony starting at 6 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) includes the presentation of Outstanding Community Service Awards from the Fair Association to Dale Ridder and the late Doug Meyer. Three county residents, Wyatt Bridgeman, Reese Groner, and Shelby Schutt will be presented with Gasconade County Fair Scholarships.

Following the opening ceremony on the Memorial Field stage, the 2022 Little Mr. and Miss Gasconade County, Jett Weyrauch and Clara Baxter, will preside over the contest to select their replacements for the 2023 event.

The fair’s 2022 queen, Keira Hendrix will preside over the 2023 pageant and crown her replacement during the final event on the main stage tonight.

For your musical entertainment this week during the fair, featured artists on the main stage at 8:30 p.m. Thursday include Rockland Road, a six-piece family band from Nashville.

Friday night at 8:30 p.m., Tracy Byrd will be featured on the main stage. He is known for hits such as “No Ordinary Man,” “Water Melon Crawl,” and “Keeper of the Stars.”

Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Sara Evans will take the main stage.

Evans is known for her musical performances of “No Place That Far,” “Suds In The Bucket,” and “A Real Fine Place To Start.”

Taking the lower stage at the beer garden at Lions Field along Red Oak Road on Friday evening is the ever-popular Owensville based Barely Covered crew. Expect to hear several pieces from the upcoming release “Professor of Punk.”

And on Saturday, the always popular Iron Road Band takes the stage for an enjoyable evening of classic rock-and-rock.

Crowd participation will be strongly encouraged by both local bands as they perform from 8 p.m. to midnight respectively each night on Lions Field.