SEMO FAIR PLANS 140TH ANNUAL EDITION

The 140th edition of the SEMO District Fair, Missouri's oldest outdoor event, will be held Sept. 10 to 16 in Cape Girardeau's Arena Park, featuring country music singers Holly Dunn, Aaron Tippin and Ricky Van Shelton.

While small fairs around the country are struggling to make a go, the SEMO District Fair is expecting attendance to top 100,000 this year, making it the state's fourth largest outdoor event.

Change is the secret to the fair's success, fair board member Steve Engles said.

"The fair has evolved," he said at a press conference Wednesday to announce plans and entertainers for this year's fair.

To make sure the fair was offering what fairgoers wanted, a survey last year asked people about their impressions. The results showed that people liked what they saw. "We think we're on the right track," Engles said.

The fair opens Sunday with the area's largest horse show and a bracelet day for carnival rides.

In the grandstand, the week begins Monday with a demolition derby, followed by a tractor pull Tuesday and, new this year, a truck pull on Wednesday. Dunn, Tippin and Van Shelton round out the week's grandstand entertainment.

Dunn and Tippin have both entertained at the fair in the past. Last year, Tippin broke attendance records for the grandstand. Van Shelton is new to the fair's lineup.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 2 at 8:30 a.m.

Pete Poe with the fair board said that even before the lineup was announced more than 100 people had requested tickets. Fans learned about the scheduled appearances at the fair through newsletters and other avenues and want to come, he explained.

Admission to the fair is $2 and parking is $2 also. Children under age 12 are admitted free.

Admission to the fair hasn't increased in 15 years. For $2, Engles said, fairgoers get a lot of free entertainment, including a lumberjack show, an eight-camel hitch, fish and wild game displays, livestock exhibits, baby farm animals and antique tractors.

Free entertainment is also offered daily in the R&R tent, like the very popular baby beauty contests. Baby girls are judged on Tuesday and baby boys are judged on Wednesday. All babies must preregister by noon Sept. 9 at the fair board office in the arena building. The contests begin at 5 p.m. each day.

The fair has a new logo for its 140th birthday. The logo shows a ferris wheel and the dates of the fair, 1855 to 1995.

Also new this year is a bracelet day for youngsters on Friday. For $5, children can ride kiddie rides from noon to 5.

A brochure for the fair is available at tourist sites throughout the area and at state visitor welcome centers.

Added prize money is being offered to 4-H and FFA participants, the poultry show is sanctioned for the first time, a new breed of dairy cattle is being judged and tours are being offered through the livestock areas for city slickers who want to know more about the agricultural side of the fair.

Corporate sponsors for the fair are Astro Amusements, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Schaper's IGA, Save-A-Lot Food Stores, Southeast Missourian, K103FM, KBSI-Fox 23 and Ameritech.