The 2023 Freestone County Fair and Rodeo is just right around the corner. We will celebrate 101 years of Old Traditions with New Beginnings starting on Monday June 12th.
Ag Mechanics and the Home and Garden Show open on Monday as well as the kickoff parade at 7 p.m. Monday night will also feature Stick Bull and Stick Horse Barrell Racing after the parade.
The Trinity Arts Council are sponsoring all youth entry fees for the Home and Garden show.
The kickoff parade theme also is Old Traditions with New Beginning and our grand marshals will be a group of women that have given countless hours of service in our county!
The livestock show begins on Tuesday ending with the Sale on Saturday at 9 a.m. This year the breeding rabbit show will be replaced by a Single Fryer Rabbit Show. The Single fryer show will be following the market show and cannot be a rabbit that was shown in the market show. The buyer’s breakfast starts at 8:00 a.m. under the pavilion.
We are excited again to partner with our Go-Texan Committee this year for horseshoes, washers and cornhole. New this year with the Go-Texan events, participates will have to prove they live in Freestone County. The Committee is only allowing entries locally to celebrate the loyalty they have provided to the county over the years.
Wednesday, we welcome the current Miss Texas with a Tea at the Chamber of Commerce following the annual Miss Freestone Pageant on Tuesday. On Saturday June 10, at 10 there will be a Little Miss pageant at the Fairfield High School auditorium. The reigning Miss and Teen Freestone County will be attending the Miss Texas and Miss Texas Teen pageants in July. The winners of this year’s pageant will also have the opportunity to attend Miss Texas next year if they wish but it is not a requirement. Pageant director Emily Goodson has done an amazing job the past year coordinating appearances for the reigning queens.
The Rodeo committee has also added a new event for youth participants in conjunction with the Youth rodeo. The Youth Rodeo will still be Wednesday night and is sponsored by Rollo Insurance. On Thursday night there will be a Youth Ranch Rodeo sponsored by Service Truck Depot. For the Youth Ranch Rodeo participants will need to enter through the Next Gen App.
For the Ranch Rodeo, each team will compete in three events calf branding, trailer loading and mugging. For both events, participants must be a graduating senior or 18 and under by June 12th. For pre-entries please text Jaymi Craig at 903-879-1073 or for more information Jerry Don McLeod at 903-879-3039
The UPRA/CPRA Rodeos will be on Friday and Saturday nights, with Mutton Bustin’ brought to you by RTS Williams starting at 7:00 p.m. The premier rodeo sponsors are BWS Services, BWS Inspection and Keechi Creek Oilfield Services. J & J is the Rodeo Contractor again this year and entries will open on the Next Gen App next week. We will once again have the fan favorite Wild Cow Milking!
Every night the Mitchell Amusement Carnival will open at 6 pm and 4 pm thru Saturday. Bracelets are $30 nightly and $25 Tuesday family night. Nightly Entertainment will be under the pavilion this year. Woodshed Production and KNES have worked hard to bring local and Texas Country Bands this year to the Fair. Lena Erwin will be coordinating the pet show at 3:00 on Saturday! If you have any questions for the pet show please call Grooms for Dogs at 903-389-5300.
Click here to visit the Freestone County Fair & Rodeo website.
Below are the hard-working members of this year’s Freestone County Fair Board.
A complete County Fair schedule may be found in The Times’ print edition on newsstands, or picked up around town at local businesses.
See you at the Fair!
THIS YEAR’S FREESTONE COUNTY FAIR BOARD MEMBERS are President Jody Bodine, Vice President Todd Craig, Treasurer Brent Holmes, Secretary Michelle Welch, Collin Puckett, Clint Fryer, Marla Lookabill, Keith Brockman and Will Steen. For questions, please contact Michelle Welch at 903-390-7028 or rjlmwelch@gmail.com
