Quite the a-‘fair:’ West Alexander Fair kicks off Sept. 4
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Members of the Rafter M Rodeo of Belmont, Ohio, take a lap around the rodeo ring before their performance last year at the West Alexander Fair.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Colt Bedillion of Claysville holds his sheep named Ram last year while preparing for the breeding sheep judging contest at the West Alexander Fair.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
A lamb pokes its snout through the wired fence while in its pen at last year’s West Alexander Fair.
Editor’s note: The West Alexander Fair was inadvertently omitted from the July 16 roundup of area fairs being held in the region.
The first week in September is shaping up to be quite the a-“fair.”
The West Alexander Fair starts sweetly Sept. 4 with the annual specialty baked good judging event at 10 a.m. followed by the opening parade, complete with antique tractors, local 4-H clubs and this year’s queen contestants, at 12:30.
That evening, one young woman will be crowned queen. The first night of the fair ends with a raucous time at the grandstand, where the Rafter G Rodeo performs.
The fun continues through Saturday, Sept. 9. This year’s fair promises all the things folks have come to love about the West Alexander event – the demolition derby, tractor and truck pulls and the McGuffey High School Band Tuesday at 6 p.m. – with a little splash of something new.
For the first time, the West Alexander Fair presents the Music Talent Contest, a two-day competition featuring aspiring local singers and performers. Solo artists and groups ages 13 and under take the stage Sept. 5, and those 14 to 21 years old step into the stoplight Sept. 6.
Both shows begin at 6:30 p.m.
“(We’re) just trying to do something different,” said Barb Reed, fair secretary/treasurer, noting this is the first contest of its kind at West Alexander Fair. “Everybody’s been going to concerts all summer. We focus on more regional area bands. We figured, let’s try this for a year and see how it goes. So far, there’s interest.”
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants in both age categories, and the winner of each will also receive a future booking at the fair.
While new talent emerges, established performers are also slated to put on a show during fair week. Stevie Lynn, a singer-musician from Wheeling, will perform Sept. 5, Avella’s Aaron Margaria takes the stage Sept. 7, and Cross Creek Band returns to the fair Sept. 9.
The Hopping Highlanders, a jump rope team from Claysville Elementary School, will also perform on the fair’s opening day.
“They’re pretty amazing. They really do stuff that is kind of mind boggling,” Reed said.
Along with musical entertainment, the West Alexander Fair offers plenty of agriculture. Each day, there are 4-H, FFA and other judgings and showmanship contests. The 63rd annual market animal sale begins at 11 a.m. Sept. 9, and always draws a crowd.
“It’s the longest-running market sale in the state of Pennsylvania, with the exception of the Farm Show,” Reed said. “You get good, quality meat at the sale. People are so concerned now about what they’re buying in the stores. These are home-raised animals these kids have worked with all summer, and some from last fall. It just gives them a chance to show their accomplishment.”
One thing that sets the West Alexander Fair apart from all others, Reed said, is that it falls during the school year. Each year, McGuffey second- graders spend Friday learning on the fairgrounds.
“They have their classrooms here for the day,” Reed said. “They go through different stations: weights and measures, vegetables, animals, antique machinery. We have a covered wagon, they get a history lesson from a retired teacher. It’s really something to see all those kids. Some of them have never experienced anything like this, never touched an animal.”
For some, newness is the fair’s appeal; for others, it’s the events that stand the test of time that bring them back each year. Events like the annual hot dog eating contest, which started sometime around the fair’s bicentennial celebration, Reed said.
“The hot dog eating contest is a big draw,” she laughed. “Some of them eat up to seven, 10 hot dogs – hot dog and a bun. Everybody cheers on their favorite person. It’s pretty loud.”
For those eager to savor a variety of foods, the West Alexander Fair offers everything from traditional funnel cakes and candy apples to baked goods homemade by area nonprofits to food truck delicacies.
“There’s a mix of everything,” Reed said.
A mix of food and entertainment means there’s something for everyone at the West Alexander Fair, which Reed calls the “best kept secret” in Washington County.
“It marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. There’s something for everyone here. It’s just a family-oriented, time-honored tradition,” Reed said.
For a full schedule events or more information, visit https://www.westalexfair.com/.