NEWSLETTERS
The Missouri State Fair online newsletter offers updates on what’s coming to the Fair. Read each issue to stay up-to-date on what you need to know.
STATE FAIR NEWSLETTER
May 2013 (download PDF)
October 2012 (download PDF)
- Make plans to visit the air-conditioned Missouri State Fair Gift Shop & Museum during the 2013 Fair. The museum has many interesting Fair exhibits and memorabilia on display, donated or loaned by generous individuals throughout the state. Of special interest is the Missouri State Fair Queen Exhibit. The Gift Shop offers “official” State Fair logo souvenirs and collector items. All proceeds from the Gift Shop and Museum donations are used for preservation and improvement initiatives on the Missouri State Fair.
The Gift Shop & Museum are also open throughout the year. Contact the Missouri State Fair Foundation to schedule your visit or group tour.
- Pop-Country with a serious groove - it's NATIVE RUN - Live on the Budweiser Stage 2 & 6 p.m. Aug 10 and 11! Native Run is Rachel Beauregard and Bryan Dawley who bring a chemistry and energy to the stage that is unparalleled. They're pop-country meets rock n' roll with a deep groove and great hair. Check 'em out! http://www.youtube.com/nativerunmusic
- Get to know your Missouri State Fair Marketing Department!
Just about anything you read from the Missouri State Fair has origins from the marketing department, now that’s a lot of info! This year, in print alone, the department will circulate 670,000 brochures, 50,000 souvenir programs, and 130,000 daily guides. Three full-time staff members work year-round to prepare for the annual event and three more team members join them as summer staff and interns.
Director of Marketing Tammie Nichols has been with the Fair for six and a half years. She enjoys seeing the smiles on the faces of Fair guests, a bit of confirmation that the Fair staff has helped create another memorable experience. Tammie has fond memories of the Fair from her childhood and has enjoyed the privilege of helping to create the same for others, especially children. She admits to being a MSF junkie – food, rides, shopping, entertainment – she loves it all! Her love for the Fair is parallel to her love of the story of the Wizard of Oz. She’s seen the play “Wicked” in NYC twice, and she has a guest bedroom decorated with Oz memorabilia, including a tree heavy with ornaments she’s collected through the years.
On her State Fair Corndog: She’ll take one with mustard, one
with ketchup and one with both then she’ll decide – about three
in eleven days sounds about right
Funnel Cake Topping: Red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese
frosting, “OMG”
Best Concert: She’s enjoyed many, like George Strait; most
recently, Hank Williams, Jr., he rocked it in 2012 – what an
amazing musician. She enjoyed meeting Alice Cooper in 2007;
she says that though some of his work is creepy-crazy, she
admires his marketing kills and his pretty baby blue eyes
Fair Don’t Miss Event: Watching the Fair come together about a
week prior to Opening Day. It’s incredible to see it all fall into
place. She doesn’t think it will be ready and then “ta-da!” the
magic happens
Favorite Carnival Midway Ride: The scarier the better; there’s a
zip line coming this year and she confesses she can’t wait!
2013 will mark the sixteenth Fair for Marketing Assistant Melba Merrick. Melba enjoys watching everything come together on Opening Day. Her favorite things about the Fair include the draft horse hitches and the Budweiser Clydesdales. In past years, Melba has been in charge of organizing the military fly-over during the Opening Day Parade and was saddened to learn that they would not be able to do one this year as it was something she truly enjoyed seeing every year. Melba loves to go camping with her family in the wilderness.
Funnel Cake Topping: Strawberries
Don’t miss at the Fair: Fudge
Favorite Carnival Midway Ride: Ferris Wheel
You might recognize the name Kari Mergen if you are signed up as a registered Missouri State Fair Fan. As the Fair’s Public Information Specialist for the past five years, Kari is responsible for sending out e-blasts and administering social media. Her job gives her the opportunity to interact with Fair guests and assist them with their Fair visit planning, which she finds to be the best part of her job, along with helping to create and design the Fair’s promotional materials. Kari is a former high school English and Journalism teacher whose job at the State Fair requires her to do many of the things she was teaching her students. As a mother of two children, ages 8 and 10, the highlight of the Fair for her is being able to sneak away from her desk for a bit to explore it with them – watching their faces light up as they enjoy the carnival midway, watch a free entertainment show, check out the exhibits and chow down on a corndog or suck down a honey stick from the Ag Building.
On her State Fair Corndog: Ketchup and Mustard
Funnel Cake Topping: Powdered Sugar
Best Concert: One of her earliest MSF concert memories is her
dad taking her to see The Oak Ridge Boys when she was about
seven. She loved (and still loves) “Elvira” and is excited
to get to see them now as an adult in 2013! Recent favorites
would be 2012’s Hank Williams, Jr. and Larry the Cable Guy.
Fair Don’t Miss Event: MSF Idol Final, Queen Coronation and
shopping
Favorite Ride on the Carnival Midway: She loves watching her
kids on the slide – they can climb up those stairs for hours!
Sedalia native and self-proclaimed State Fair groupie Denise Meloy worked for the Marketing Department during the 11-day Fair in 2012 and is back in 2013 as a seasonal staff member. Denise got a glimpse of the prep work for the Opening Day Parade last year and is now taking the helm as the coordinator for the annual event. She is also coordinating fairgoer surveys, assisting with the Queen Contest, and is the on-site liaison for the various special events the Marketing Department coordinates. She is enjoying her time working this summer and is learning “a TON” about the world of computers. Denise admits that her greatest passion is cooking, feeding and eating and along with this she loves to play in the Earth and grow, grow grow! From this comes canned salsa, dilly green beans, pickles and chow-chow. She and her family spend a lot of time outside in nature, soaking in life, sun and fun!
On her State Fair Corndog: A LOT of ketchup and mustard
Funnel Cake Topping: Powdered Sugar, always original
Best Concert: James Taylor, Blake Shelton and Alice Cooper
Doesn't miss at the Fair: Corn dogs, meat sticks in the Ag
Building, turkey legs
Favorite Ride on the Carnival Midway: Enterprise
Kari Williams is a Marketing Intern with duties relating to sponsor-relations, public address announcements, Special Contests and assisting with the Missouri State Fair Idol contest. From the St. Louis area, Kari has not been to the Fair since she was in kindergarten, so she is looking forward to taking it all in, especially the food and the concerts. She is collector of vinyl records and likes to shop at locally-owned record stores in St. Louis, the St. Louis Record Collector Show and the occasional yard sale.
On her State Fair Corndog: Both ketchup and mustard
Funnel Cake Topping: Powdered Sugar
Best Concert: Have never been, but is most looking forward to
Chris Cagle and Gary Allan
Kate Woolery is also a Marketing Intern this summer. She is enjoying getting to know everyone and the feeling of accomplishment when she finishes a task (even something as simple as a press release). Kate’s duties relate to coordinating the Governor’s Ham Breakfast and Opening Day Ceremony, media relations, videography and photography. Her favorite thing about the Fair is people-watching. Just this past year, Kate participated in the Outward Bound program and spent 13 days canoeing in the Florida Everglades with only the basic necessities, an experience she will never forget.
On her State Fair Corndog: Dick’s corn dog with both mustard
and extra ketchup
Funnel Cake Topping: Powdered Sugar
Best Concert: Switchfoot
Don’t miss at the Fair: Kate always gets a beef stick, regardless
that she’s not really a beef eater - it's just a tradition!
Favorite Ride on the Carnival Midway: Fun Houses
- 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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- 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)
- 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.
- 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!
- So exciting to see the building progress on the new MFA Youth Livestock Arena!
- 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... - 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... - 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
- 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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- 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.