With the Montgomery County Fair being a month away, organizers are hard at work to make final preparations for the big event that is scheduled for July 20-25 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.

Sponsorships and entertainment schedules have to be finalized, vendors, exhibitors and judges have to be coordinated and livestock facilities have to be prepared in order to have the 79th annual fair to be a successful one. Fair Secretary Chasity Lichtenberg said June is one of the busiest months to get everything ready.

“While the public sees the finished product in July, there is an incredible amount of work happening behind the scenes in the weeks leading up to fair week,” Lichtenberg said. “The fair is truly a year-round effort, but June is when all of the planning starts turning into reality.”

The fair starts on July 20 with a mandatory meeting and weigh-in sessions for Junior Market Livestock, followed by the Little Mr. and Miss Contest and the Fair Queen Contest. The fair parade is scheduled for July 21 and will start near Bratchers Market. The Junior Livestock Market Auction will be held on July 23 and the Baby Show will be held on July 25.

Online fair registration began on June 1 for all fair entries and events. July 1 is the deadline for 4-H Project, Market Sale and Bucket Calf exhibitors, July 18 is the last day for rabbit and poultry fun show exhibitors and ag mechanics contest participants to register and July 22 is the final day for open show exhibitors to register.

Litchenberg said while the final numbers won’t be available until registration closes on July 1, organizers have seen strong participation from exhibitors through the pre-registration process. Currently, the fair had 38 steer, 99 hogs, 13 goats and 35 sheep that weighed in this spring.

“In addition, we are expecting approximately 15 poultry exhibitors and as many as 85 rabbit exhibitors,” Lichtenberg said. “Our livestock numbers are up again this year, which is exciting to see and speaks to the continued growth and success of our youth livestock programs.”

“Stars, Stripes and Summer Nights” is the theme for this year. It was submitted by Michelle Maskey during a theme contest, which the fair put on for the first time. There were 62 theme submissions that were received and members from the Junior Fair Board reviewed them.

Derrick Cobb and Tyler Davis are the new members of the Senior Fair Board. There are 16 members of the board that are led by Lichtenberg, President Bill Bader, Vice-President Joe Oden and Treasurer Justin Talley.

Aurora Gibson, Andrea VanBooven, April Langan, Garrett Jacob, Mackenzie Kelling, Max Angel and Victoria VanBooven joined the Junior Fair Board, which has 25 members.

There will be no traditional concert at the fair this year, but there will be performances at Beer Tent Stage from local acts such as Mark Perkins, Biscuits and Gravy, Well Hungarians, Molly Lovette and Mickey Scott. There will also be a new Ladies Night event at the Beer Tent on July 25.