The 2009 Carroll County 4- H Fair will open Friday evening in Flora and continue through the following Friday, July 17. In addition to 4-H activities and livestock shows, Flora Community Club will be sponsoring a free concert series, pony rides, and motorcycle stunt show. Food vendors will be set up throughout the week.

Friday evening, July 10, the 4-H Fashion Show will be held at 7 p.m. in the show arena. The concert series will kick-off with 2008 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer. She will perform from 7-9 p.m. in front of the Merchant's Building.

Overmyer is promoting her new album, "Solidify," a product of her grassroots approach to music. She uses local musicians in her band and will be available after the concert for autographs.

Pony rides at $5 each will be offered Friday through Tuesday. On Monday, July 13, there will be a Pet Parade at 5:30 p.m. on the basketball court and at 6:30 p.m. an Antique Tractor Drive will take place inside the fairgrounds.

The Merchant's Building is opening, too, on Friday evening and will be open each evening throughout the fair.

The 52nd annual 4-H Fair Queen Pageant will be Saturday evening at 7 in the show arena. Nine young women are vying for the title.

A bicycle rodeo will be held at 4 p.m. and a pedal tractor pull at 7.

The 4-H Parade will be Sunday at 2 p.m., with line-up starting at 1 p.m. at Jackson- Lee-Pearson. The parade will continue up Clark Street, proceed north on Center Street, then east on Main to the park. Prizes will be given for first, second, and third place floats. Parade marshals are Merritt "Dude" and Maralee Hardt. This year's theme is "4-H - Discover Your Treasure."

Carroll County Kid's Day will be Sunday, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Merchant's Building. Sponsored by the Tobacco Prevention Coalition, this free event will feature health information and fun.

The concert series will continue Sunday west of the tennis courts (near Shelter 15), featuring His Reflection and Malachi Jaggers. His Reflection - Dan Galema and Ginny Yoder - will perform from 3:30 to 4:30. The pair has been singing together since 1985 and are committed to singing songs with positive, scripturally based messages. Malachi Jaggers' concert will be from 7-9 p.m. Jaggers is a soft-spoken music minister from Lafayette who uses a direct message and melodies to relate his life into scripture to uplift those listening to his music.

The Little Miss & Mister Pageant will be held in the show arena, starting at 7 p.m. MCs are Bill Shidler and Miss Carroll County 2008 Kayleigh Morgan.

Leadership Carroll County Class of 2009 will be serving a BBQ Beef Dinner in the park from 5 to 8 p.m.

Local band Ramblin' Fever will take the stage from 6-9 p.m. Monday.

Carroll County Extension Homemakers will be serving daily lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the 4-H Building.

A Port-A-Pit Chicken Dinner will be served in the park by Carroll County Democrats starting at 5 p.m.

Carroll County Antique Tractor Club will have a display. The club is also sponsoring free concerts and homemade ice cream on Monday and Tuesday nights. The Cowboy Church Band will perform at 7 p.m. Monday with homemade ice cream following at 7:30. Tuesday night's musical entertainment will be at 7 by the Cutler Band. Homemade ice cream will be served starting at 7:30.

There will be inflatables for kids from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Inflatables include the Rotary's Moon Walk, Bungie Run, Obstacle Course, and a 6-in-1 Activities Center. Prices for the inflatables will be $1 and $2.

Flora Community Club's fish fry will start at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the park.

To wrap up the Concert Series, Steve Trent and Small Town band will perform Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. Steve Trent and Small Town is based out of Lafayette. Their performance includes songs written by the group as well as ones written by Nashville's hottest songwriters.

Special awards and champion trophies will be presented to deserving 4-Hers on Wednesday night at 7 in the show arena.

The Carroll County Republican Pork Loin Dinner on Wednesday will be served in the park, starting at 5 p.m.

The American Hellriders on the Wall of Death will be featured Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, July 15-17, with performances at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. This motorcycle stunt show is performed in a barrel-shaped cylinder with viewing access on a platform around the drum, looking down. The motorcycles start in the middle, at the bottom of the drum and drive up an initial ramped section until they gain enough velocity to drive horizontally to the floor defying gravity. Each show can accommodate approximately 200 people and will cost $5 for adults, and $3 for ages 13 and under.

Tasting at the Pork BBQ Cook-Off will start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and continue until 6:30 p.m. or until the pork is gone. The public can vote for its favorite taste by placing money in containers on the various tables. The cook with the most donations collected at 6:45 p.m. will receive a "People's Choice" award. Donations will benefit the 4-H program.

The Royal Showmanship Contest will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the show arena. 4- H Fun Night will follow there from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Livestock shows are: Saturday - rabbits; Monday - poultry, dog and llama/alpaca; Tuesday - goat, horse and pony, pocket pets, and sheep. Wednesday - beef and cat, and Thursday - swine.

The 4-H Livestock Auction starts at 6 p.m. Friday in the show arena.

The Cookie Bake-A-Rama on Wednesday is open to anyone, regardless of age. There will be both youth and adult categories. Any type of baked cookie may be entered. Cookies must be entered at 9 a.m. in the Home & Family Arts Building. Judging will begin at 10. Winners will be announced immediately following judging.

Harvest of Quilts at the Fair will be on display Tuesday through Thursday in the Home & Family Arts Building. Hours are: Tuesday 1 to 9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Winners are selected from categories by popular vote.

Bidders are needed at Friday night's 4-H auction to help support the Extension Homemakers' Iris McCain Scholarship. Cookies "From the Best Cooks in Carroll County" Cookie Bake-A-Rama entries (frozen to be sold at the livestock auction) will be auctioned. All profit from the cookie auction will go to the Iris McCain Memorial Scholarship fund. Scholarships are awarded to adult Carroll County residents returning to college.

The 4-H Family Breakfast and fairgrounds clean-up will be Saturday morning.

Off-duty police officers will be patrolling the grounds courtesy of Flora Community Club and the Antique Tractor Club.

For a complete schedule of events see pages 4&5B and other related fair information on pages 1B and 8B.