Jefferson County Fair & Rodeo Coming Up Fast!

Fourth of July celebrations mark the middle of Montana's short, sweet summers. Inevitably, fall follows with cooler weather and shorter days. But before we tuck summer delights into our memories, we celebrate another big community event, the 40th Annual Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo, August 22-25, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Boulder.

The fair and rodeo are more fun if you participate, for example, by volunteering, entering exhibits or competitions, or marching in the parade. Many local non-profits earn money for their causes and enjoy doing so during the fair. There are two breakfasts, one by the Animal Shelter and Care of Jefferson County on Friday and the other on Sunday by the Boulder River Carousel committee. The Jefferson High School Band Department hosts a delicious barbecue on Saturday night. Local businesses and neighbors good-naturedly compete to spend the most money on delicious prize-winning goodies at the baked goods auction, all supporting fairgrounds improvements.

4-H kids plan a full slate of events, from a dog show to indoor exhibits to the wild 4-H market animal auction on Saturday. See their rabbits, cows, lambs, goats, chickens, and cats! The Whitehall Garden Club puts on a free floral design workshop for kids and organizes a beautiful flower show in the Volunteer Hall.

A new event is the Fiber Fest, organized by the Boulder River Quilt Guild, in the red boiler building. Displays of handmade crafts made of natural fibers range from quilts to embroidery to wool clothing. Other new attractions are an ax throwing tournament on Sunday and a Saturday volleyball tournament to raise money for the Skijoring group.

The Jefferson County Rodeo Association sponsors a full slate of events, starting with the Big Rock Barrel Race on Friday and the crowd favorite, the free Big Deal In-County Rodeo, on Thursday. Jefferson County Rodeo Association NRA Rodeos on Friday and Saturday at 6 pm are fast-moving, thrilling competitions starring some of the biggest names in rodeo. The rodeo association also sponsors the Rodeo Parade on Saturday at high noon on Boulder's Main Street.

If it seems like there is too much going on to keep track of it all, watch for the Fair Book, which will be inserted in the July 24 Boulder Monitor. Keep the schedule, look over the available categories for entering, and get your exhibits ready to enter! To help with the festivities or for more information, call the Jefferson County Events Department at 406-225-4039. See you at the Fair!