Gates open Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for the ninth annual event which is held at Tri-State Exhibition Center.
The fair will be held through Sunday at the Exhibition Center.
Girls from 5 to 20 will vie for the titles of Fairest of the Fair, Junior Fairest of the Fair, Fair Princess, Little Miss and Wee Miss. The pageants will be held Thursday evening on the Pavilion Stage at the Tri-State Exhibition Center.
The Fairest of the Fair contest is for girls ages 16 to 20. The Junior Fairest of the Fair is for ages 13 to 15. The Wee Miss, girls ages 5 and 6, will compete in either long or short dress at 6 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m., Little Miss girls, ages 7, 8 and 9, will be competing in either short or long dress. The Fair Princess, ages 10, 11 and 12, competes at 7 p.m.
Junior Fairest of the Fair and The Fairest of the Fair follow at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively, according to Nancy Alford.
“Of course, we are having a fair too,” said Louie Alford, president of the Foothills Country Fair, when it was announced that the Kansas City Barbeque Society was going to participate with a sanctioned contest.
Over 70 teams of barbecue contestants will compete for prize money.
World champions and Kansas City Royals cookers will be among the celebrity chefs who will cook up brisket, ribs, chicken and pork. The Foothills Country Fair will be held through Sunday, at the Exhibition Center.
“These Kansas City barbecue pros are featured on a number of television shows and all are sanctioned through the Kansas City Barbecue Society. There will be $10,000 in cash prizes,” Alford said.
The KCBS sanctions more than 400 barbecue contests in the U.S. At present, 40 teams have committed.
“These are made up of all professional pitmasters,” Alford explained. “It will be a barbecue all-star lineup.”
Judging will be held Saturday afternoon.
Fifty professional KC-certified judges will partake of the barbecue. Of course, visitors to the fair can participate as well by purchasing the privilege to taste the recipes and make their “People’s Choice” distinction. Alford also said number of “Backyard Barbecue” teams have committed so far.
“One of the highlights of the event will be a barbecue judges’ certification class which will be held July 27 at Mountain View Inn,” Alford said.
More than 30 people have registered for the class. Helping sponsor the KCBS sanctioned event are Larry Hill Ford and the Bank of Cleveland. Alford said even though the fair will be featuring the barbecue, many other activities will be going on as well.
Other featured events at this year’s fair are the carnival, pageants, local musicians and singers. Also, the Grammy, Academy of Country Musicians and Country Music Association award-winning group Shenandoah will perform. Other events include lawnmower racing and a demolition derby.
Pins for the fair can be purchased for $10 at the gate and include all four days of activities. Children under 6 can attend at no charge. Carnival pricing is not included in the pin purchase.
For additional information about the fair, barbecue contest or other events, visit http://foothillscountryfair.webs.com.
