August is a day away and that means your 2025 Cowley County Fair is rolling into the Winfield Fairgrounds for another year. This time with what looks to be milder weather.
On Wednesday night, local media were treated to a preview of the fair, which always draws thousands of people and participants. Here’s a rundown of what we heard from fair organizers about what to expect.
THE RICK MEYER STAGE
If anyone deserved their own midway stage at the fairgrounds, it was Rick Meyer, who passed away in 2023. For years, you could see Rick working event after event at the fairgrounds to get the facility ready and keep it maintained.
Fair organizers still miss him but the stage will serve as a great reminder to all he contributed as a city employee, volunteer and community leader.
As an 80s kid I can honestly say the Rick Meyer stage is totally awesome – with a capital A. It will be host to live karaoke, live musical performances and more. And right there on one of the columns is a tribute to Meyer that should stand the test of time.
The stage fits in, too. The columns that make up its four corners look more like something you’d see on a well-built bridge. That’s needed at the fairgrounds so that it can withstand any future flood waters.
The stage’s cover is red metal to match the other buildings and it has that spiffy Morton Buildings “M” that we’ve all seen on a lot of metal-sided buildings around here over the years. There’s lighting and an electric box installed up high to stay dry.
Private donations and support from the fair and other organizations helped to get this project done. Kudos to the city of Winfield for getting it done after announcing it at last year’s fair media event.
It was a great idea that executed well and should serve all events very very well. A tribute is set for 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at the stage.
4H EVENTS
Livestock and animals are a big big part of the Cowley County Fair and this year is no different. This year’s fair will boast 277 exhibitors with 2,715 entries – which is about the same as it has been the last two years, according to 4-H Youth Development Agent Sarah LaGrone.
Poultry is having a big year this year. So much so, that organizers have divided the exhibit areas across two locations just so it can all fit. Overall there are 202 entries in the poultry, pigeons and waterfowl categories.
Space is tight all the way around.
“We are smack crammed into these buildings,” LaGrone told us. “And really kind of hitting the limits of how many animals we can fit in here.”
“Pretty much every single spot to tie an animal is taken,” she added.
Here are the exhibit numbers for the 4H events:
64 dairy cattle; 24 bucket calves; 80 beef cattle; 60 sheep; 74 meat goats; 16 dairy goats; 202 poultry entries; 115 swine entries (90 hogs some double entered); 233 food entries; 492 photography entries and 302 in visual arts.
Rabbit entries are down just a bit, but who knows, their population might double by the end of the fair. 😀
Sunday afternoon includes an animal costume contest that sounds really fun and that’s followed by the barnyard Olympics. Continue story below ad.
GRANDSTAND EVENTS
The Oak Ridge Boys performance on Saturday night is expected to draw a good crowd to the grandstand area. The stands hold roughly 5,500 people and organizers hope to draw more than that when you include the seating space available on the arena floor.
A couple years back, the fair made Saturday a concert night and has kept working to make it a success. They hope The Oak Ridge Boys kick that up notch.
On Thursday, the ATV Rodeo kicks off the grandstand and is expected to be popular, as motor sports normally are year in and year out.
Tucker Drake is heading up the effort to field the demo derby and figure 8 show on Friday night.
He said the event has 36 rear wheel drive and 15 front wheel drive entries for the figure 8 races. There are 22 derby cars “if everyone shows up and passes inspection,” he said.
The grandstand events wrap up with rodeo action on Sunday and Monday. Sign up for sheep riding for the kiddos opens at 6 each night and that’s the event that will kick off the rodeo each night.
Rodeo chief organizer Grady Martin said a lot of young local talent will be part of the show. Junior barrels and wild cow milking will be part of the fun.
Oxford’s Clint Graves and the Yaussi brothers out of Udall as area talents that are scheduled to compete. He also mentioned Paul David Tierney who will be in Winfield. He’s won the cinch timed-event championship in Guthrie, Okla. multiple times.
WEE ENTERTAINMENT
For those of you needing carnival and ride info for the fair. Here’s what WEE posted on their Facebook page this week:
