Wednesday is the first day of the Greater Grand Forks Fair & Exhibition, and action was beginning to pick up accordingly at the Grand Forks Fairgrounds early Tuesday afternoon.
Carnival crews were putting up the walls of the Cuckoo Haus and attaching the purple dinosaurs to the center wheel of one of the kiddie rides. 4-H leaders were getting ready for the onslaught of 4-H kids entering hundreds of craft projects and culinary goodies.
Food trailers and trucks that will dispense everything from snow cones and funnel cakes pulled into their spots. Other fairground workers filled holes, set up tents and prepared to roll buckets of flowers into place.
Gate admission will be free. Advance Megapass tickets have been on sale for weeks for carnival rides. Daily ride passes bought at the fairgrounds will be $25.
The Grandstand will offer River Cities Speedway races Friday night, Motocross Saturday night and a Demolition Derby and Herbie Derby for compact cars Sunday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Also new will be nightly family bingo with cash and prizes. Another feature: Free carnival rides from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday for current and former military families with ID.
Entertainment at the free stage will be Night Ryder from 6 to 8:30 p.m. today; Downtown Horns, 8:30 to 11 p.m. today; Full Tilt, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday; Identity 5, 8:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday; "Back to the '50s" Summer Performing Arts performances, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday; Kenny and the Classics with Maury Finny and Gary Emerson, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday; Big Bizness, 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday; and the WoodPicks, 6 p.m. Sunday.
