We now have county fair books available through our office located on the third floor of the Pittsburg County Courthouse. With that in mind there are some important dates to keep in mind.

For starters, the County Fair will run from Sept. 4 through Sept. 6. Non-animal entries for the fair will be accepted on Sept. 3 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the east of the Expo building. Poultry entries must be pre-entered by Aug. 14. Mandatory testing of the poultry entries will be held on Aug. 23 from 8 - 10 a.m. and from 6 - 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds. If poultry exhibits are not tested on this day they will not be allowed to enter for the fair. Pre-entry for all remaining animals that need to be pre-entered is due by Aug. 22.

The Best All Around Essay contest (for 4-H members that completed a county report form) will be held Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. at the Oklahoma State University conference room. Eligible participants for this contest will be notified shortly by mail from our office.

Again this year there will be a chili cook-off and a talent show. The talent show will be held on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. This activity is open to all age groups. There is a fee of $5 for individual and $10 for a group. Music will be turned in 30 minutes prior to the event. The event will be held in the east end of the Expo. First place winners will be invited to perform at the awards ceremony to be held on Sept. 6. The chili cook-off will be Sept. 6. This contest has two age groups (ages 9-18 and ages 19 and older). Cost is $5 per entry and the categories include Traditional, Specialty and Fire Alarm. All entry forms for the county fair are located at the back of the fair book.

Editor's note: Greg Owen is the 4-H and youth development OSU Extension Educator for Pittsburg County. Contact him at 423-4120 or by e-mail at ogregor@okstate.edu.