The 2024 Clinton County Fair will get an earlier than usual start year, with extended days of activities and some new events that are sure to be fan favorites.
The fair will extend over a 10-day period, with one or more events being on tap each day and night, starting this Thursday, June 13, and running through Saturday, June 22.
Derby City Rides will be on the midway starting on Tuesday, June 18, running through the final night, starting with rides each evening at 6 p.m.
All gate admission prices cover all rides, all night, on the midway.
The 2024 version of the fair begins this Thursday, June 13, with pageants that include the Little Miss & Mister and Miss Pre-Teen. Those begin at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively in the main building on the fairgrounds, with a gate admission of $10 per person.
The increasingly popular “Sparkling Stars” special needs pageant will follow on Friday, June 14, at 6 p.m., also in the main building. There is free admission to this event.
On Saturday, several day and nighttime activities will take place at the fairgrounds, beginning on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with the FFA and 4-H Pet Show, with no gate admission for that event.
Then at 10 a.m. this Saturday, the annual Baby Show will be held in the main building, with a $5 admission to the show. Registration will be online or contestants can register the morning of the show starting at 8 a.m.
The now annual Car Show will fill the fairgrounds with classic vehicles of all types on Sunday, June 16, from 2-4 p.m. There is no admission charge on Sunday.
Another night of pageantry will take stage in the main building starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 17, with the annual Miss Teen and Miss Clinton County Fair Pageants. Also, a new pageant will be added this year, that being the Ms/Mrs. Clinton County Fair Pageant.
The latter is something new to all state fair counties in Kentucky, with the winner of the local Ms./Mrs. Pageant qualifying for state competition.
Also, a new, and apparently requested event this year at the Clinton County Fair will make its debut on Monday, that being the “Fair Food Extravaganza.”
All food vendors will open for business at 6 p.m. to sell their delicious foods, with a wide variety to choose from, including seafood, BBQ, and other specialty items, not to mention your favorite type of food you expect to find at your local county fair, like hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, and desserts, just to name a few.
For patrons attending the beauty pageants, admission will be $10 and collected at the building entrance. The Fair Food Extravaganza will have a free gate admission for those who are going to the fairgrounds for that event only.
As previously stated, the carnival will be on the midway starting Tuesday night, June 18, which is also the always popular Family Night at the fair.
There will be games and activities for the young and young at heart in the main show ring, including the greased pig contest, catfish wrangling, minnow snatching and much more.
Tuesday evening will also feature another brand new fair opportunity, as Chattanooga Helicopter will be offering helicopter rides each night through the close of the fair on Saturday, starting at 6 p.m. each night.
Rides will cost $25 per person for a three mile ride or $50 for a five mile ride, with a three person limit per ride.
Gate admission on Tuesday will be $10 per person.
Yet another new feature of the Clinton County Fair will take place on Wednesday, June 19, with the first annual “carload” night.
Vehicles with up to eight passengers can get into the fair for a price $30 per vehicle load–with all rides on the midway still included in the price.
Persons with one, two, or three persons only will still pay the standard $10 per person admission price.
The main scheduled events on Wednesday will include the ATV Rodeo and Lawn Mower Pull, in the main arena and pull track, respectively, with both of those programs starting at 7 p.m.
The Bull Whip Rodeo will be front and center at the fair on Thursday, June 20, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Gate admission to the main event is $15 per person.
The second of three major featured events will be held on Friday, June 21, on the truck track, that being the KOTTPA Truck Pull, which starts at 7 p.m.
A secondary event for fans who may not be into truck pulls, but more into unconventional animals and basketball combined, will be Donkey Basketball, featured in the main show ring.
Clinton County Fair Manager Sarah Browning said there would be a “lot of local favorites,” playing in the game that night, which also begins at 7 p.m.
There will be a $15 gate admission for next Friday night’s shows.
The final Friday night of the fair also features the drawing for the 2023 Kubota Tractor, which will be held in the main building. The drawing begins at 6 p.m., with cash prizes being given for certain tickets drawn, until the final ticket marking the tractor winner.
The fair board is again giving the tractor winner the ‘option’ of keeping the tractor or “cashing” it out, by taking the money up front.
Only 350 tickets are sold each year, and Browning noted last Friday that ticket sales were going really well, but some are still available for those who wish to purchase them at $100 each.
All proceeds from the tractor sale go to the fair board as an annual fundraiser, which allows the fair board to invest in shows and events for the following year.
The 2024 fair will come to a close on Saturday, June 22, with the always popular Demolition Derby, which is scheduled to begin in the main show ring at 7 p.m., with a $15 gate admission.
Browning said she felt there was a lot of excitement about this year’s Clinton County Fair, in particular the new events being presented, combined the with the standard popular featured events which always draws large crowds to the fairgrounds during fair week.
She said there was a lot of interest in the pilot events like the helicopter rides, Fair Food Extravaganza, and carload night.
Browning said the primary reason for the extension of the fair, and its starting early, was due to the new programs and multiple shows the fair board is sponsoring this year and  she feels there will be something for everyone, of every age, to enjoy.
“We had to split up some days and nights to allow for more events,” she added.
The Fair Manager is hoping for good weather for the coming week-and- a-half and looks forward to another successful fair.
For anyone wishing to register for a pageant, or more information about this year’s fair programs,  or if you wish to purchase a tractor ticket, you may visit their website at clintoncofair.com or see any fair board member.
Everyone far and wide is invited out to any or all of the events, shows and festivities scheduled at the 2024 Clinton County Fair.