Missouri State Fair Dreams Big with this year’s Food Drive
Industry Challenge set at 20 Million Pounds

(SEDALIA, Mo.) – The Missouri State Fair will be increasing its efforts to collect canned food this year as it joins in a challenge presented by its industry trade association. Fair Director Mark Wolfe said today that members of the International Association of Fairs and Festivals have been invited to participate in its campaign, Dream Big, which has set an industry-wide goal of collecting 20 million pounds of food at fairs and festivals held in 2013.

“During the past two fairs, our food drive has brought in 20,000 pounds of food,” Wolfe said. “This year we are raising the bar and asking Missourians to help us to increase our collection numbers, and demonstrate our support to Missourians in need.”

The special gate promotion will be offered again Aug. 13, Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Tuesday, in cooperation with Ford and Missouri Farmers Care. Adults and children bringing cans to the Fair this date will receive $1 off gate admission for every can donated, for up to half-off gate admission. Regular adult gate admission is $8, regular child admission is $2 for ages 6-13, and child admission is free everyday for ages 5 and younger.

To help facilitate an upswing in the quantity of food collected this year, Missouri FFA and Missouri Ford dealerships will be involved, and collection days during the State Fair will be extended to include all 11 days.

“Food collection is already underway at Ford dealerships across Missouri,” Wolfe explained. ““Midwest Ford Dealers and St. Louis Ford Dealers are supporting the drive for the third year, and will be collecting food at their locations now through Aug. 12.” Dealers will be giving a $1 off discount coupon for each can brought into their facility. The coupons can be redeemed at the Fair’s admission gates Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Food collected by the local FFA chapters and at the local Ford dealerships will go to food pantries in the respective communities, and the food collected at the Missouri State Fair will be picked up and distributed by the Missouri Food Bank Association (MFBA).

A Canstruction® project will support the food drive again this year, serving as a visual reminder of food products that farmers bring to tables every day. A massive mural of the FFA emblem will be painted with nearly 6,000 yellow and blue cans of food and on display in the Agriculture Building Aug. 8-18. Fairgoers will have an opportunity to purchase a can of food at the exhibit during the Fair and place the can in an unfinished element of the emblem; these monetary donations will go to the MFBA.

Canstruction® is a trademarked professional design/build competition and community service project sponsored by the Society for Design Administration. Mid-Missouri’s architects, engineers and students create giant structures built with canned food. The events showcase the ingenuity of the design community, while benefiting food banks in Missouri. The Fair’s exhibit is being designed and directed by project engineer Patrick Earney of Trabue, Hansen & Hinshaw, Inc. of Columbia. Bing’s Grocery Stores of Sedalia is donating the food for the project.

The 111th Missouri State Fair, themed “Chicks Dig It!,” will be held Aug. 8-18 in Sedalia. For more information about the food drive or the State Fair, visit www.mostatefair.com, follow the Fair on Facebook and Twitter, or call 1-800-422-FAIR (3247).

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4 hours ago
It's CLUCK CLUCK TUESDAY! Time for another random "Chicks Dig It!" chicken fact. Among the largest chicken eggs ever recorded is one of almost 12 ounces with five yolks. It was over a foot long and nine inches wide. It was laid by a Black Minorca in Lancashire, England, in 1986. (Source: "Poultry of the World" by Loyl Stromberg)

8 hours ago
Fair Photo of the Day! Fair Fan Holly Ladd of Sedalia submitted this photo of the skies overlooking the carnival midway in 2012. Thanks for the great pic, Holly!

We're accepting photos for consideration as our Fair Photo of the Day! Send your photo(s) with a short caption to mostatefair@mda.mo.gov.

9 hours ago
West side of new MFA Youth Livestock Arena. Can't wait to watch Missouri 4-H and FFA youth lead their livestock up the ramp and into the show ring!

4 days ago
So exciting to see the building progress on the new MFA Youth Livestock Arena!

4 days ago
Check out the new featured recipe on our website - Coconut Cake - First Place 2010 Busy Day Cake from a Box entered by Joyce Salmon of Creighton. http://www.mostatefair.com/culinary-household

Culinary/Household Arts | Missouri State Fair
www.mostatefair.com
CULINARY/HOUSEHOLD ARTS Click here for a list of previous featured recipes.CONSUMER SHOWCASE STAGEHOME ECONOMICS BUILDINGVisit the Consumer Showcase Stage in the Home Economics Building for family living information and daily demonstrations. A variety of topics like scrapbooking, cooking, gardeni...
4 days ago
The deadline has been extended to July 19 for those wanting to enter the Chicken Dance Video Contest! Requirements to enter include some unique dance moves, a sense of humor and a video recorder. The winning video will be played on the Pepsi Grandstand big screens during this year’s concert intermissions, and the winner will receive two tickets to the Chris Cagle concert to be held Thursday, Aug. 8.

Videos may be submitted in one of two ways:
1. Videos may be emailed to mostatefair@gmail.com. Videos must be formatted as .MOV, .AVI or .MP4 and the entrant’s name, address and telephone number should be included in the body of the email.
2. YouTube links may be emailed to mostatefair@gmail.com, along with entrant’s name, address and telephone number included in the body of the email. If a YouTube video is selected as the winner, the original file in .MOV, .AVI or MP4 format must be provided.

Video entries for the Chicken Dance Contest will be accepted through July 19, and the winner will be notified by July 26. Videos should be no longer than one minute in length and should incorporate some of the traditional Chicken Dance moves. Actual Chicken Dance background music may also be used or contestants may sing or play the tune on an instrument. Complete contest rules are available online at http://www.mostatefair.com/chicken-dance-contest.

Chicken Dance Contest | Missouri State Fair
www.mostatefair.com
CHICKEN DANCE CONTESTThe Missouri State Fair really digs the chicken dance.In celebration of our 2013 State Fair theme Chicks Dig It and National Dance Like a Chicken Day, May 14, 2013, we’re offering a chance to win concert tickets for the 2013 Missouri State Fair!Shake your tail feathers and str...
4 days ago
Who's ready to rock with Three Days Grace and Hinder Saturday, Aug 17 on the Pepsi Grandstand stage? Ticket ordering information at www.mostatefair.com/pepsi-grandstand. In the meantime, check them out on their YouTube pages - 3DG: http://bit.ly/190F0wt / Hinder: http://bit.ly/11retCk

4 days ago
Tickets on sale Monday to Four Missouri State Fair Concerts

Tickets to the remaining four Missouri State Fair Pepsi Grandstand concerts go on sale starting at 9 a.m. Monday, June 17, and can be ordered at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-796-6776.

Recent additions to the August line-up include Chubby Checker, Lee Brice with Tyler Farr, Foreigner with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and Three Days Grace with Hinder.

“The Pepsi Grandstand concerts are a highlight of the Fair each year and this year will be no exception,” Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe said. “With a great line-up of country music and classic rock, fairgoers will have the opportunity to make top acts a part of their visit to the State Fair.”

Classic rock fans will be excited to have Foreigner and Starship featuring Mickey Thomas fill the slot on the first Friday, Aug. 9. The classic artists will deliver some of rock and roll’s most well known anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “I Want To Know What Love Is.” Foreigner continues to rock the charts more than 30 years into their career, and touts more than 75 million album sales.

Chubby Checker will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his song, “The Twist,” in his State Fair appearance Tuesday, Aug. 13. His hit became the first and only 45 single to appear in the No. 1 billboard spot in two different years, 1961 and 1962.

Lee Brice and opening act Tyler Farr will bring a young country sound to this year’s State Fair concert series with their performance Thursday, Aug. 15. Songwriter and artist Lee Brice is a four-time Academy of Country Music nominee with hits that include “A Woman Like You,” “Love Like Crazy” and “Hard 2 Love.” Tyler Farr is a rising country sensation and a Missouri native. Farr’s new single, “Redneck Crazy,” is his first Top 40 hit.

Three Days Grace, a Canadian rock/alternative metal band, and American rock band Hinder will close out the concert series on Saturday, Aug. 17. Three Days Grace got their start in the 1990s and has since celebrated many accolades on the Billboard charts for both singles and albums. Hinder was formed in Oklahoma in 2001 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

The State Fair’s four concerts already on sale through Ticketmaster include Chris Cagle with Will Hoge Aug. 8, Gary Allan with Randy Houser Aug. 10, The Oak Ridge Boys 40th Anniversary Tour Aug. 14, and Toby Keith presented by Ford F-Series and Kelsey K Aug. 16. All concerts will be held on the Pepsi Grandstand Stage beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Box Office, located on the fairgrounds in Sedalia, will open Monday, June 24. Summer hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. During the Fair, Aug. 8-18, operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. In addition to concert tickets, the Box Office will sell tickets to State Fair Arena events and the Governor’s Ham Breakfast, as well as advance gate admission tickets.

The 111th Missouri State Fair, themed “Chicks Dig It!,” will be held Aug. 8-18 in Sedalia. For a complete list of concerts and events, visit www.mostatefair.com, follow the Missouri State Fair on Facebook and Twitter or call 1-800-422-FAIR (3247).

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4 days ago
Just for Seniors! The Senior Citizens Lounge will be open daily during the 2013 MSF inside the Log Home. Air conditioning, refreshments, maps and general Fair information are available. Free tram ride stickers for seniors are also available for pick up in the Senior Lounge.
4 days ago
U.S. Cellular customers can purchase exclusive presale tickets to see Foreigner, Chubby Checker, Lee Brice, and Three Days Grace at the Missouri State Fair! To get started, text MOSF to 68188 from your U.S. Cellular phone. The presale closes Sunday at 4pm Hope to see you there! Certain restrictions apply. Standard message and data rates may apply.
4 days ago
Curtis Grimes performing on the 2013 Budweiser Stage! Grimes is a former contestant on the reality television singing competition "The Voice" who taught himself how to play the guitar after purchasing a used one from a pawn shop! See him live on the Budweiser Stage at 2 & 6 p.m. Aug 8 and 9. http://ow.ly/lTfeZ

5 days ago
THROWBACK THURSDAY! A Fairgoer is "Flying High" at the 1912 Missouri State Fair.

5 days ago

Award-Winning Comedy Group Rocks the Missouri State Fair

Sedalia, Missouri, July 16, 2012 – A cappella comedy rock group Six Appeal is fresh off a championship win at the 2012 Harmony Sweepstakes, and will make a debut at this year’s Missouri State Fair. The group will perform at 3 and 7 p.m. Aug. 9-14 at the Touchstone Energy Stage, as part of the Fair’s free entertainment line-up.

“Six Appeal’s talent, humor and energy will make them a great addition to our family-friendly, free entertainment line-up,” said Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe.

The all-male sextet from Minnesota trumped similar groups from across the country in the Harmony Sweepstakes held recently in San Rafael, Calif. Six Appeal also won awards for Audience Favorite and Best Original Song for their tune “On Your Love.”

The Missouri State Fair will host a full line-up of free entertainment every day, including The Sweeny Family Band Country Comedy Review, appearing on a new stage sponsored by Ditzfeld Transfer, Inc., and Pint Size Polkas on the Kids Stage, sponsored by Hostess Brands, Inc.

Two crowd favorites returning this year is Cowboy Mounted Shooting, sponsored by Starline Brass, with two shows starting at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10, and Hedrick’s Pig Races, sponsored by Bluegreen Corporation.

The full free entertainment schedule, as well as a video of Six Appeal, is online at www.mostatefair.com/free-entertainment.

For more information about the Missouri State Fair, visit www.mostatefair.com and follow the Fair on Facebook and Twitter. The 110th Missouri State Fair will be held Aug. 9-19 in Sedalia, and is themed “Celebrate Then and Wow.”