By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
It's time to saddle up for fun at the Ellis County Fair Saturday through July 22.
The annual event offers fun for everyone with car races at the RPM Speedway, Kansas Pro Rodeo Association action plus mutton bustin' and junior bulls for the younger contestants, barrel racing, an outlaw truck and tractor pull, and lots of live music, from country to rock to children's music.
Then there's the inflatable carnival, laser tag, face painting and games, axe throwing, the exotic petting zoo, commercial exhibits, and a Lego bricks building contest.
Even with all that, the focus of the fair, which started in the late 1800s, said Jill Pfannenstiel, fair association president, remains on youth and 4-H.
No longer do you have to be a farm kid to participate, Pfannenstiel said.
"Lots of Ellis County kids are in 4-H and they don't live on a farm. It's not just about the animals," she said.
"There are lots of building entries that come in. There are arts and crafts, food, needlework, clothing construction, style revue, geology, rocketry, so many different categories."
There's also an open class for the public, "so you don't have to be in 4-H to enter at the fair. If you're good at gardening, maybe bring it out and enter it."
Fair board members are volunteers, with some, including Pfannenstiel, using vacation from their jobs to help out during the week.
"We don't get paid. We're out here year-round, working lots of volunteer hours," Pfannenstiel said.
She estimated there are more than 100 volunteers for the fair. Many people also bring out family members to work the event.
Pfannenstiel's husband, Clint, works the fair and her 13-year-old daughter, Kinley, is in 4-H. Son, Lane, has moved away but comes back to help with shows.
Pfannenstiel became interested in serving on the fair board because her grandfather Paul Baier served on the board. Baier, who passed away in 2015, was on the board for 13 years, 11 of those as chairman. Pfannenstiel said she's now served on the board "more years than I can remember."
In addition to the volunteers, another important component of the fair is the sponsors.
"We've had some that have been with us a couple decades."
The fair also receives funding from Ellis County and appoints board members.
Neal Younger, Ellis County Commission chairman, said the fair is good for the community.
"It's something to do, and the young kids can get involved," Younger said.
There is a special category for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and another for kids who completed a stepping-stone project at the Hays Public Library.
Advance tickets for all events at the Ellis County Fairgrounds are $30 each. A single-night gate admission ticket is $15. Children ages 5 and younger are admitted free.
Armbands for the inflatable carnival are $10.
Detailed information about the fair schedule and where to purchase tickets is available on the Ellis County website at https://www.ellisco.net/681/Ellis-County-Fair.