St. John

St. John will celebrate “Country Ways in Modern Days” this week, as it opens the area’s annual fair season with its Community Fair and Stock Show.

The annual festival of all things St. John begins today, with the town’s finest artisans, crafters and florists entering their work in the Home Ec Building.

Flowers and plant entries can be made through 11:30 a.m. today. Theme ideas are available with entry forms at city hall.

The sewing and needlework department is asking people to enter their first needle-and-thread projects with stories of how they came about.

Animal judging begins at 9 a.m. Friday, with sheep judging kicking off the events. Fitting and showing continues through the morning, with goats inspected at 9:45, swine at 10 a.m., beef at 11 a.m.

Conformation classes take over after lunch, with beef judging at 1 p.m., sheep at 2, goats at 3 and swine at 3:30.

Saturday starts bright and early with the cowboy breakfast getting underway at the cook shack at 6:30 a.m. After filling their bellies with the finest breakfast on the west Palouse, fairgoers can run off the extra calories in the 32nd Annual Hog Jog. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8:30.

Grand Marshall Billy Ray, long-time music instructor at St. John and Endicott schools, will front his band through the annual parade on Front Street at 11:30. The kiddy parade kicks things off from the post office. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated golf cart, best matching pet-and-owner combination and most unusual animal.

At the fairgrounds, St. John’s finest classic cars will be on display, 4H and FFA’ers will have their horse show and, highlight of the weekend, the Stock Show Queen will be crowned.

Prizes and games will follow those events.

Sunday morning caps Fair Week with the annual Pig Putt golf tournament. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the shotgun start launches the tourney at 10 a.m.