Ever since the Montgomery County Junior Fair Board was introduced three years ago, it accomplished many duties for the Montgomery County Fair.

One of them is coming up with a theme. This year, the 21-member board came up with a theme for the 78th annual fair that was pretty catchy – Welcome To “Fair”adise!

“Each year, we allow the Junior Fairboard to select a theme, and this year they picked a particularly fun one,” said Chasity Lichtenberg, secretary of the Fair Board. “We hope this inspires everyone to create some fantastic floats for the fair.”

This year’s fair will have five new events plus upgrades to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds and facilities that the Senior Fair Board will be announcing on the fair’s Facebook page throughout the summer.

The fair starts on July 14 with the Little Mr. and Miss Contest and the Fair Queen Contest and ends on July 19 with a concert by Wade Bowen, which is one of the new events.

Bowen is a country singer from Texas who has released numerous albums for more than two decades, including “Flyin,” which was released last year. He will perform at 8 p.m. at the Northwest Arena. Jordan Isakson, a country singer from Rolla, will perform in the concert opener at 7 p.m.

“We began our search for concert performers in September of last year,” Lichtenberg said. “After receiving a list of names that fit within our budget, we started narrowing it down. We were thrilled to see Wade Bowen included on that list, and we were fortunate that he was available on our selected dates.”

The fair will also have Cowtown USA from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. from July 15-19. Lichtenberg said it’s a family-friendly attraction that will include a petting zoo, pony rides and an opportunity for patrons to learn how to make ice cream or soap from cow milking.

The Garden Tractor Pullers event returns after a two-year hiatus. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. on July 15 at the Northwest Arena.

The fair will have the SXS/ATV Throwdown at 7 p.m. on July 17, which will feature dirt drags, down and back races and barrel racing. It replaces American Championship Wrestling on the schedule. Last year, the wrestling event was held on the fourth day of the fair.

“The wrestling event will not return this year, despite its popularity,” Lichtenberg said. “Each year, we strive to make adjustments to the schedule and explore new ideas to ensure that our offerings remain entertaining for everyone.”

On the fifth day of the fair, July 18, the Adventure Zone will make its debut at the Northwest Arena. It will include a bungee trampoline, mini golf course and rock wall. The event will run from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

The fair will have the Mechanical Bull from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. on July 18-19. It’s $5 a ride.

“The Junior Fairboard has the exciting opportunity to select a few events to book using the funds they raise at Bingo,” Lichtenberg said. “This option was a top choice for them, so we successfully secured a company for Friday and Saturday.”

The livestock auction is scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 17. Last year, there were a total of 200 exhibitors, including 11 Grand and Reserve champions, in the event. The auction raised $394,000.

“We are thrilled about the upcoming 2025 auction,” Lichtenberg said. “This year, our livestock exhibitors have increased, we have moved to a brand-new livestock/auction office, and we have introduced exciting new features for auction participants.”

The Junior Fair Board has an officer team that includes Molly Causey, Gracie Cobb, Dever Cope, Elizabeth Mueller, Melanie Mueller, Malerie Schutt and Lila Uthlaut. Addie Schroer, Maggie Causey and Elaina Uthlaut are the new members of the board.