The 64th annual Lincoln County Fair returns next week, featuring a new livestock arena, a bull buck-off, and a mainstage performance by country music star Trace Adkins.

With a theme of “Barn in the USA,” the weeklong-event actually starts Saturday with the crowning of the 2025 Fair Queen at the Hungate Performing Arts Center (see accompanying story).

The queen and her court will join hundreds of other entrants in the parade Sunday starting at 5 p.m. With ongoing road construction at U.S. 61 and Highway 47, the parade will follow a slightly modified route this year, starting at the Troy Middle School. The route will go East on West College to Main, South on Main to Boone, West on Boone Street to Perkins, North on Perkins and the parade will conclude at Troy Middle School.

Monday’s events include the junior poultry show at 8 a.m. and the open wool fleece contest from 8:30-11 a.m.

Despite those three days of events, the fair “officially” starts Tuesday with opening ceremonies at 4 p.m. followed by a tractor pull at 7 p.m. Livestock shows throughout the day include rabbits at 8 a.m., swine at 5:30 p.m., and the youth horse show at 6:30 p.m.

The carnival also opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. It runs from 6-11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 6-midnight on Friday and Saturday. It’s also open 1-5 p.m. Saturday.

Tuesday night is also kid’s night as children 12 and under are admitted to the fair free of charge. Adult tickets are $15 both Tuesday and Wednesday night, increasing to $20 on Thursday, and $30 on Friday and Saturday. The price for children’s tickets after Tuesday night is $10 on Wednesday and Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday.

Season passes are available which give access for the entire Fair week. The cost is $70 per adult and for kids and $35 for children 5-12 years old.

Wednesday’s events include a horticulture show at 10 a.m., followed by a goat show at 2 p.m., the lamb show at 5 p.m. and the steer show at 8 p.m.

The evening’s entertainment includes a truck pull at 6:30 p.m. and the Jim Geeding Memorial Barrell Race at 7 p.m.

Thursday, the always popular livestock auction starts at 5 p.m. and typically lasts well into the early morning hours. Also that evening, monster trucks will be competing at 7 p.m.

The open horse show is also scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, the junior breeding swine, cattle and goat shows are scheduled for noon, 2 and 4 p.m., respectively.

That evening, the K-K Bucking Bulls and Barrells event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the horse arena.
Also at 7 p.m., the Pro Pulling League and Xcaliber Pulling will host their Western & Silver Series Summer Shootout.

Saturday’s schedule is chocked full of activity including several traditional children’s events including the baby show at 9 a.m., frog and turtle races at 11:30 a.m, the pedal tractor pull at 12:30 p.m., a watermelon eating contest at 2:30 p.m. and the greased pig scramble at 4 p.m.

Other events Saturday include the breeding sheep show and 4-H Horse Show, both of which start at 9 a.m.

That evening, the demolition derby starts at 7 p.m.

On the Main Stage, Cooper Akan opens at 7:30 p.m. for Trace Adkins, who starts at 9 p.m. (see related story).

In addition to the traditional events and entertainment, the fair will also feature something new: the livestock arena.

The home to various livestock shows and the popular auction has been rebuilt following the conclusion of the 2024 fair.

Fair Board Treasurer Dalton Gilbert said community donations made the new arena possible.

“We cannot thank the community enough for the support,” he said. “The community has supported us in a crazy fashion. We’ve raised a ton of money. We took down the old auction barn and we took down the sheep and goat barn and we have erected an 80×275 new cover structure that will be operational for this year’s livestock auction.”

Gilbert says there is something for everyone at the 2025 Lincoln County Fair. Like others, he will be passing on the tradition of attending the Fair to his own family.

“It’s pretty rewarding and it’s special to me,” he said.