Community fair kicks off in St. John

The St. John Community Fair rolls out next week, gearing up as early as Tuesday for an event which is treated by many as the warm-up for the Spokane Junior Stock Show.

In addition to the sights and tastes at the fairground Thursday through Sunday, on Saturday there will be the 41st Hog Jog with starting pistol sounding at 8:30 a.m. and parade at noon. The cowboy church service will be Sunday at 9 a.m. with Pig Putt Golf Scramble at the St. John golf course at 10.

The cook shack will be serving up traditional fair food of burgers and fries during the busy fair.

Tuesday, April 23, all open youth entries for arts and crafts are to be dropped off at the Home Ec Building between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., otherwise the entry will not be accepted.

On Wednesday the youth arts and crafts will be judged. At 2:30 the entries for youth cupcake decorating, flower arranging and veggie critters arrive.

Things start to pick up on Thursday with adult entries for food, sewing, adult arts and crafts, photography and flowers accepted from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and livestock entries rolling in 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The home ec building closes down from 1 to 5 p.m. for judging at the conclusion of which the building will open for evening viewing. The grill will be hot by 11 a.m. when the cook shack opens up.

Friday the animals and their handlers get to strut their stuff. The community building and cook shack open at 9 a.m. and fitting and showing classes for livestock start at 10 a.m. with sheep, followed by goats, swine and beef. Confirmation classes starts at 1 p.m. with beef, then sheep, meat goats, swine, chickens and rabbits. The Round Robin will follow the last class.

Library games open at noon and go until 6 p.m.

Cowboy breakfast at the cook shack kicks off the Saturday festivities 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. The community building will open up, the the annual Hog Jog registration is open from 7 to 8 a.m. at the city park on Nob Hill Street. The Hog Jog commences at 8:30 with five, two or one mile courses.

Back at the fairground, the horse show gets stepping at 9 a.m. and livestock judging for 4H, FFA and adults at 9:30.

Demonstrations start at 10 a.m. and library games at 10:30.

The action moves to Front Street for the community fair parade at high noon. Then, fair-goers have time to walk back to the fairground, grab a bite from the cook shack before heading to the area for games and stick horse rodeo at 1 p.m. followed by awards presentations and raffle drawing. The horse show continues at 1:30 and the rest of the day is for fun and enjoyment until animals can check out at 5 p.m.

Things begin to wind down Sunday with an 8 a.m. opening of the community building and cook shack. A cowboy church service is set for 9 a.m.

At the St. John Golf and Country Club, registration for the Pig Putt is 9 to 9:45 a.m. with the Pig Putt Golf Scramble starting at 10 a.m.

Library games will be open noon to 2 p.m. From 2 to 5 p.m. exhibits may be removed.