Parade to kick off Jacktown Fair
WIND RIDGE – The annual Jacktown Fair, which will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year, will kick off with the Jacktown Fair Parade at 6:30 p.m. July 14 in Wind Ridge.
The fair, which runs through July 18, is sponsored by Richhill Agricultural Society. The first Jacksonville Fair, as it was initially called, was held Oct. 3 and 4 in 1866.
Fair week gets under way July 12 with a worship service at 10 a.m. and the annual Jacktown Fair Queen Contest at 7 p.m. Both events are at the fairgrounds.
The theme for this year’s parade will be “Harvest the Fun.”
The parade will feature Tabatha Schiller, daughter of Suzette Schiller and Frank Vorhes of Wind Ridge, the reigning 2014 Jacktown Fair Queen; and Jordan Karvan, the 11-year-old daughter of Daniel Karvan and Renee Morris of Wind Ridge, the 2014 Jacktown Fair Princess.
Contestants vying for this year’s fair queen and the new fair princess also will be in attendance.
As part of the 150th celebration, invitations were extended to all former Jacktown Fair queens. State and local dignitaries also received invitations.
A mini-float contest will make its debut. A mini-float is constructed on a child’s wagon, wheelbarrow, garden cart or small cart. It can be hand-pulled or pulled by a riding mower. Prizes of $40, $30, $20 and $10 will be awarded. The mini-float contest is in addition to the annual float contest, which awards prizes of $100, $75, $50 and $25. Float entries will be judged on attractiveness, design, workmanship, use of the theme, originality and other elements. Anyone wanting to enter a float or entry corresponding to this year’s theme is encouraged to do so.
The Jacktown Fair Board invites all interested churches, groups, businesses, organizations and individuals to participate in the parade. Those who have an interesting, entertaining, showy or unusual item are also welcome.
The board is interested in having antique and classic cars, clowns, fire equipment, horses and other local queens and princesses participate in the parade.
Those who wish to enter the parade should contact Marcia Sonneborn. Date of entry will be taken in to consideration when forming the parade line. To enter the parade or for more information, call Sonneborn at 724-428-4344 or email marciasonne@windstream.net.