Looking for something to keep your teenager busy this summer?

Have them apply to work at the Fair. ta-da! Get them out of your hair and into ours!

Interested parties should call the Fair Office at (360) 221-4677 or email.

Participating as a buyer in the 4H Livestock Auction is a great way to get naturally, humanely, locally grown meats for your freezer and to support the 4H Market Animal Project members.

Saturday, August 16, 12:00 pm

Livestock Arena, Island County Fairgrounds

Beef, Lamb, Pork, and Goat will be offered for bidding. Beef is available in quarters, and groups can go in together to purchase lamb, pork and goat too!

For more information, contact the WSU Extension Office at 360-240-5558, or visit the livestock barns or the WSU Extension Booth at the Fair.

Put your mark on the 2009 Fair!

Enter a Logo Design in the Fair this year. It may be selected for the 2009 Fair! Logos awarded a blue or red ribbon at the fair are put in for selection at the November Island County Fair Association meeting. The winner receives a $50.00 cash prize as well as having their design used for advertising and marketing for the 2009 Fair.

To participate, bring your finished logo to the Fair Saturday, August 9 from 1PM to 7PM. Logos will be judged and hung in the Pole Building. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite during the fair.

Here are some tips in creating a successful logo design:

1. Keep it simple. The logo sets the theme for the Fair. The logo is going to be printed on t-shirts, hats, advertisements, schedules, etc., so it should be clean and fun.

2. Only two or three colors are used during the Fair so make sure the logo can be used with limited colors. (It’s easier for the judges to visualize what it will look like if it’s black and white.)

3. It must have a slogan. Keep the slogan short. The slogan is a catch phrase and does not have to rhyme. In fact, some of the more fun slogans don't rhyme.

4. It must include the phrase 'Island County Fair' and '2009'.

5. You can use any medium to create your logo: drawing, watercolor, computer, cut and paste, etc.

6. Check the Premium Book for further rules and instructions.

Good luck!

Fun with the Real Mr. Potato Head!

Deer Lagoon Grange and South Whidbey Tilth invite everyone to participate in the Open Class Vegetable Veggie Critter categories (pages 21-22 in the Premium Book) and they are putting their talent and produce at your disposal.

Demonstrations and hands-on help will be available on August 9 from 10am to 2 pm at the Tilth Saturday Market on Highway 525 and Thompson Road, just north of Bayview.

'Grange Bux' will be distributed to Critter Creators aged 18 and younger to select from among the unusual veggies Tilth farmers will offer decorators for this fun Fair pre-party.

Questions? Call Chuck Prochaska at (360) 221-3110.

Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson at the 2008 Fair?

Although these legendary performers will not appear on the Midway stage this year, you can still enjoy their concerts live! A drawing will be held each day of the Fair for a pair of tickets to hear these phenomenal artists:

Thursday Night Drawing:

CHICAGO at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on August 23

Friday Night Drawing:

FrankiE Valli and The Four Seasons at the Puyallup Fair on September 17

Saturday Night Drawing:

WILLIE NELSON at Marymoor Park in Redmond on August 28

Sunday Night Drawing:

NEIL DIAMOND at Key Arena in Seattle on September 24

Daily admission to the Fair includes one entry ticket for that day’s concert drawing. Upon entry to the fairgrounds, fairgoers will receive a ticket to fill out and deposit in the drawing box which will be located near the hospitality room next to the Eva Mae Gabelein Midway Stage. Fairgoer must be present to win. Only one entry per person per day allowed. Drawings will be held nightly on the Eva Mae Gabelein Midway Stage during the headliner’s performance.

Going Green

Green: it’s more than currency or an eco lifestyle.

Think John Deere.

The Island County Commissioners blended all three concepts into one tidy package when they recently approved the purchase of a John Deere 4120 for use at the Island County Fairgrounds. The Deere replaces an old Kioti that replaced an old Ferguson, which now resides in the antique barn.

Impetus for the acquisition was the planned construction of a composting station on the fairgrounds to manage the manure produced year-round at the facility. Trundling all the animal waste from various barns to the compost site met with head shakes and long faces from Fair Board members. A new tractor was needed to streamline the process.

Although the Island County Fair is self-sufficient, receiving no taxpayer funding through County coffers, there was scant room in the budget to purchase the green dream.

At the urging of Island County Commissioner Phil Bakke, the Commissioners tapped their contingency fund to turn the dream into reality. “I was so excited to be able to do something nice for the Island County Fair, since they take such good care of the County’s property and provide so many opportunities for the youth of Island County,” Bakke said.

Bakke was on hand for the delivery, and took a turn at the wheel before relinquishing it to eager fair hands. The clean green machine glistened as Jerry Reuble of Barnett Implements detailed the operation of the practically foolproof equipment. Included with the tractor was a new drag for the arena, to replace the ancient one held together with baling wire and rust. The dust had barely settled from unloading it before Leandra Reuble hopped into the driver’s seat and moved the drag to the arena for use at the 4-H horse show on Saturday.

Reuble said, “This is just the beginning. We’re going to find all kinds of uses for this tractor.”

Get 'Em Before They're Gone!

Paradise Amusements is once again offering a presale ticket deal for the Island County Fair carnival. From now until August 3, advance purchase entitles thrillseekers to 10 hours of rides for $17 at the Fair August 14-17.

Here's how it works: Buy a presale ticket for $17, bring it to the Fair and exchange it at the carnival ticket booth inside the fairgrounds for a wristband good for one session. There are two sessions per day. Hours for the first session are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The second session runs from 5 p.m. to closing Thursday through Sunday. Presale tickets entitle bearer to wristbands for both sessions. Each ticket is valid for one day of the Fair only.

Tickets are available at all island branches of both Whidbey Island Bank and AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union, or at the Fair office from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. There is no limit to the number of presale tickets each person may buy. For more information, call the Fair office at 221-4677.

No ride wristbands will be sold at the Fair this year, so this is your only chance to get great value at a tremendous savings over ride tickets. Presale ends Sunday, August 3. After that, it's the full-price deal … so get yours now!

Note: Purchase of carnival ticket does not include admission to the fair.