New 4-H building will debut at Larimer County Fair

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

A new building for 4-H exhibits, free admission, free parking, a Thursday night parade and a bear show highlight plans for the Larimer County Fair and Rodeo in August.

The fair parade, held on Saturday for many years, has been moved to Aug. 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Loveland. It marks the official opening night of the fair, which concludes on Aug. 8.

"The parade was changed to Thursday evening versus the Saturday prior to the fair, after many requests from the community," said Everett Van Campen, parade committee chairman.

Prefair entertainment will include the cat, dog and horse shows that begin July 28 and Larimer County team roping and open barrel racing competitions that begin July 31 in the Ranch-Way Feeds Indoor Arena.

This year's fair theme is "Fair Reflections, Remember When." Registration forms for entrants in the parade can be printed at larimercountyfair.org and are due by July 26. A complete list of activities and events is available at the same site.

Immediately following the parade, the community is invited to attend the carnival and other opening night activities at the fairgrounds east of Interstate 25.

New entertainment this year is the Great Bear Show from Texas. Owner Bob Steele rescues orphaned cubs through fish and wildlife agencies and also acquires them from parks that don't have room for them. In some cases, bears are confiscated from individuals who had them as pets.

Steele gives the bears a home on his 200-acre ranch and trains them to be safely handled. He then either has them in his educational show or finds them a suitable home.

Steele will bring three bears to the Larimer County Fair, including Jacki, a 15-year-old North American black bear born in captivity. The show teaches the public about bears of North America, both in the wild and captivity. The bears also do a small routine during the show, which consists of various skills that bears have, along with a little comedy.

Established in 1977, the Great Bear Show is the oldest and longest running wild animal educational show in the country. All proceeds go toward the bears' care.

Another new feature in 2006 is the I.W.P.A. Dog Pull. The International Weight Pull Association promotes the sport of dog pulling through sanctioned events across the country. Similar to a tractor pull, dogs will compete to see which dog can pull the most weight across a measured distance.

Exhibits

During July, construction crews are busy getting the Thomas M. McKee 4-H Youth and Community Building ready for its debut. There will be a cornerstone laying ceremony on Aug. 7 at 11 a.m.

The 25,700-square-foot building will showcase indoor exhibits from the 4-H program. They include heritage arts, sewing, cake decorating, woodworking, leathercraft, model rockets, photography, entomology and the Cloverbud projects of 5- to 7-year-old members.

With 4-H projects in a new location, the east exhibition hall will have more room for open-class exhibits, said Larimer County Extension director Laurel Kubin. She noted that a person does not have to be a county resident to enter.

July 17 is the deadline for open-class exhibitors to sign up without a late fee. Otherwise, the fee is $5 per department. A link to the fair premium book that explains all of the classes and how to enter is available at www.larimer.org/theranch.

The exhibition hall will also feature rotating demonstrations such as fly-tying, beekeeping, quilting and model railroads.