Here's everything you need to know about the 2022 Brown County Fair, from concerts to food
Thousands of people will converge on the Brown County Fairgrounds next week for a mixture of entertainment, food, and youth and family activities.
The Brown County Fair runs Monday through Aug. 21 at the fairgrounds on the north side of Aberdeen.
Fair Manager Rachel Kippley, who took over the post earlier this year, said she's cautiously optimistic about this year's schedule of events, which includes some new features along with some old favorites and even the return of a past event.
$2 Tuesday at the fair
Kippley said one of the new features is $2 Tuesday. This is a food vendor promotion from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, she said, during which fairgoers can purchase sample portions of fair food for $2.
About half the food vendors will be participating, she said. Look for the vendors with the red, white and blue posters.
Brown County Fair Foundation fundraisers include 5K run, benches
Avid runners can participate in a 5-kilometer run/walk/bike event on Aug. 20. Kippley said previous fairs have featured a 5K run, with the last held in 2016. Registration is $30 per person with a $20 rate available for student cross-country athletes. While this has been a memorial run in years past, it is now a fundraiser for the Brown County Fair Foundation. Registration is at 7:30 a.m. with the run beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Brown County Fair Foundation is also raising funds by seeking sponsors for benches at the fairgrounds. To date, Kippley said, 27 of 32 sponsorships have been sold. The benches will be placed under the NVC and Ken's tents, she said,
Ride Line available by appointment
Those who have previously used a shuttle for a quick trip to the fairgrounds will now need to make an appointment with Ride Line. In years past, Ride Line has had shuttles picking up people at specific spots around town. That is not happening this year, Kippley said.
Ride Line is a community transit service in Aberdeen that people can call at least a day in advance to arrange a ride. The cost is $2 each way.
Transportation Director Rich Krokel said appointments must be made the day before by 4 p.m. Call 605-626-3333 to arrange a ride.
Camping expanded, fully reserved for 2022
Additional camping options are also available this year with 160 new primitive camping spots and 60 electrical sites on the east side of the fairgrounds. The camping expansion uses land acquired in 2019. That's when the county procured the 40 acres of land next to the fairgrounds in exchange for property the county owned at Richmond Lake.
More: Richmond/fairgrounds land swap approved again
Kippley said an agreement with Northern Electric Cooperative helped establish the 60 new camping sites with electric service, and future plans include additional electrical sites in 2023 and 2024. Another 72 sites will be added next year with 39 more in 2024, if the county budgets enough money.
The sites will fill the need for some people who have been on a waiting list for camping sites on the fairgrounds, and all available sites are already claimed. Kippley said the waiting list has about 550 people, but also includes some people who are using primitive sites this year.
QR codes can be used for vendor map, volunteer opportunities
For those who can't remember if their favorite booth is in the Holum Expo Building or the Odde Ice Arena, and those who want to plan out their food menu, there's a map for that.
This year's fair book features a square QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone to link to a website that not only lists all of the vendors, but shows where they are on the grounds.
The desktop version of that map can be found at eventhub.net/events/Brown-County-Fair_2783.
Not only is it a handy tool to check and see if that favorite product or food vendor will be at the fair, but it can also help locate some new places to check out. Because it's mobile, those at the fair can use it to find what booth everyone is talking about or find a new part of the fairgrounds to explore.
More: Brown County Fair Foundation, vendor reservation system among manager Rachel Kippley’s priorities
Kippley said the vendor map and online listing is a new feature available through an agreement with EventHub, which is being used to take reservations for all of this year's vendors.
Grandstand ticket prices higher during fair week
While it's not unusual for grandstand concert ticket prices to go up during the week of the fair, this year they will cost a little more. Beginning Monday, tickets for individual concerts will go up $10 and three- and-four day grandstand ticket packs will go up $20. In the past, the increase was $5.
Until Monday, single concert tickets are $40 for general admission or $50 for reserved seating. A three-day general admission package is $70, which covers the concerts on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and a three-day reserved package is $90. The four-day general admission package is $100.
Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowmen kick off grandstand entertainment
Grandstand concerts begin Wednesday. A list of performers follows.
Wednesday, Aug. 17: Randy Rogers Band and Wade Bowen.
Thursday, Aug. 18: Craig Morgan with special guests Danielle Bradberry and Callista Clark.
Friday, Aug. 19: Seether with special guests Saliva and Emissary Echo.
Saturday: Scotty McCreery with special guests Parmalee and Larry Fleet.
Concerts begin at 8 p.m. at the Larry Gerlach Grandstand. Tickets can be purchased at browncountysdfair.com/entertainment/tickets/. Only clear bags are allowed inside the grandstand.
More: Brown County Fair signs contract with Winterset Concerts to book grandstand acts
Tickets prices increase Tuesday for all-day carnival passes
All-day carnival wristbands are $30 this year and increase to $35 starting Tuesday. The Todd Armstrong carnival schedule follows.
Tuesday, Aug. 16: 5-11 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 17: through Saturday, Aug. 20: 1-11 p.m.
Aug. 21: 1-5 p.m.
Cowboy Channel plus to livestream Dacotah Stampede Rodeo
The balance of the events at the grandstand include the Dacotah Bank Stampede Rodeo on Monday and Tuesday ($10 for children, $15 for adults) and an antique tractor pull on Aug. 21.
Both rodeo events begin at 7 p.m., and the tractor pull, which is free, begins at 1:30 p.m. Rodeo ticket prices don't change the week of the fair, but Kippley said demand for the event is high and tickets are often sold out before the fair begins.
Each evening features seven events with a maximum of 10 competitors in each event.
More: Brown County Commission OK's electrical work, transformer upgrade for fairgrounds
This year's rodeo will be livestreamed on Cowboy Channel, a streaming subscription service, Kippley said. The Cowboy Channel will also rebroadcast the rodeo at a later date.
Sponsorships were also increased this year to accommodate higher payouts for winners that are above the shared purse. Kippley said those payouts increased by $500 this year to $2,500 per winner.
Antique tractor parade precedes tractor pull
An antique tractor parade will wind through the fairgrounds before the Aug. 21 tractor pull. The parade will be led by the Northern State University Marching Wolves and will begin at 1 p.m. on the east side of the grandstand.
More: Northern State University plans expanded beer sales at football games this season
In addition to featuring antique and unique tractors, those who want to decorate their golf carts and side-by-sides can join in. Participants should be lined up by 12:30 p.m.
'Stellar' free entertainment options abound on grounds
This year's fair has a mix of new activities along with continuation of popular contests like Minute to Win It on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 1:45 p.m., the Aberdeen Federal Credit Union Rising Star Competition Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Veggie 500 races in the Avera Kid's Zone at 2 p.m. Thursday through Aug. 21.
Some of the new events this year include:
Money hunt events sponsored each day by American Bank & Trust. These are at 1:30 p.m. in the Avera Kid's Zone. The hunts begin Tuesday and run through Aug. 21.
While many fairgoers will be enjoying the grandstand concert on Thursday, Aug. 18 families with young children and other fairgoers will have the option to enjoy family movie night in the Avera Kid's Zone. The Disney movie "Moana" will start at 9 p.m. and is sponsored by the Aberdeen Area Association of Realtors.
Some new bands will also be providing entertainment under the tents. Kippley said the Devon Worley Band, featuring country-rock, plays Friday, Aug. 19, under the NVC Tent and again Saturday, Aug. 20, under the Ken's Tent.
Mo Town, featuring rhythm and blues from the 1960s and 1970s, is also performing multiple shows Friday, Aug. 19, under the Ken's Tent and again on Saturday, Aug. 20, under the NVC Tent.
A full schedule of events, activities and entertainment can be found onl at browncountysdfair.com/.
Entertainment, chili cook-off set for Centennial Village
Additional entertainment can be found at Centennial Village, with one of the more popular fair events on Saturday, Aug. 20. That's the South Dakota State Chili Cook-off.
Team check-in and booth set up begins at 7 a.m. with a cooks meeting at 8 a.m., and the competition beginning soon after. Public tasting and judging is at 2 p.m. For registration details go to https://chilicookoff.com/cookoffs/list.
A new chili cook-off feature this year is the Run the Gamut hot sauce-tasting challenge sponsored by the Red Rooster Coffee.
Entertainment at Centennial Village includes:
Karaoke by Mark Remily at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 15, and Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Barstool Prophets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18.
Bad Dawg at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, and 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20.
Clubhouse entertainment begins Monday
Entertainment is also planned at the Clubhouse beer garden near the grandstand. That schedule includes:
Dustin Evans & the Good times Band from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 15, Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20.
Celebration Entertainment DJ/Karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
Retro Active '80s rock band from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18.
The Clubhouse is open to the public from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 15; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 16, Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18; 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, and Saturday, Aug. 20; and 1 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 21.
Ag adventure area expands
A new feature in 2021 was an ag adventure area in the southeast corner of the Odde Ice Center. It featured interactive children's activities, and it will return with expanded offerings this year. It's sponsored by Glacial Lakes Energy and others.
Kippley said one of the new features is an obstacle course in which participants do a variety of activities that include driving through a corn field, taking corn to an elevator, using dried distilled grain to feed livestock and filling up their vehicles with ethanol.
Dried distilled grains are the byproduct that's left after corn is processed into ethanol.
Fair will feature exhibits from 250 4-H members
The fair features a host of exhibits from 4-H'ers and community members. This year, 250 4-H members will be showing livestock, static exhibits or a combination of both.
Local 4-H Youth Advisor Becca Tullar said community members interested in seeing highlights of 4-H youth in action should check out the Night at the Fair with 4-H under the Ken's Tent on Thursday, Aug. 18.
It will feature 4-H members who will give their public presentations, a fashion show from 4-H Fashion Revue participants, a slide show of food prepared by Special Foods participants and the 4-H royalty coronation. All of that happens after the 4-H barbecue, which begins at 5 p.m.
Tullar said the variety of animal shows and exhibits provide "something for everyone." The companion animal show on Friday, Aug, 19, is something for whose who want to see a variety of animals. The show begins at 1 p.m. in the Hollum Expo Building addition in the DemKota Ranch Beef show ring. Tullar said this is where more unique animals can be found, including gerbils, birds, lizards and even spiders.
Dairy goat entries also have an extra competition this year. Tullar said those who enter goats that are milking can participate in the the American Dairy Goat Association milking contest. It starts with a milk-out during which the goats are milked dry Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The goats are then milked twice on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tullar said the milk is weighed and tested, and the results become part of the goat's record.
As always, the fair is free to attend and offers free parking.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: What to know if you go to the 2022 Brown County Fair: tickets, parking
