‘Country Strong:’ Allen Parish Fair opens today
OBERLIN — The 78th Annual Allen Parish Fair runs this weekend at the parish fairgrounds in Oberlin.
“The fair remains a small- town fair with exhibits, amusement rides and food booths,” Syble Ryder of the Allen Parish Fair Association said. “The fair is more than a place to ride rides or eat, it is a place where the locals can come together to visit with each other and pass a good time.”
The theme for this year’s fair is “Handmade and Homegrown, the Allen Parish Fair is Country Strong.”
The fair will feature carnival rides, midway games, food booths, exhibits, livestock shows, a parade, pet show and much more.
Admission is free, but there is a $5 parking fee.
The general exhibits building will be open 9 a.m.-noon and 4-9 p.m. today and Friday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday.
The fairground will be open today for Senior Citizens Day sponsored by the Allen Parish Council on Aging and the Sheriff’s Office. The event will include a lunch, door prizes and activities for local senior citizens.
Activities continue on Friday with the annual School Day, featuring a parade, pet show and more.
The parade will line up at 9:15 a.m. at the Oberlin Recreation Park, just west of the fairgrounds and will roll through downtown beginning at 10 a.m.
The parade will feature Miss Allen Parish Greta Young and Jr. Miss Allen Parish Kallie Pitre and their courts. Other entries will included decorated floats, vehicles, marching units, fire trucks and horses.
The grand marshal of this year’s parade is Bill Burgess, who has been the announcer for the parade the past 33 years. He is a former fair board president and avid cattleman who loves to spend his time on the farm.
He is an active member of the Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, where he is a 4th degree Knights of Columbus.
The LSU-Ag Extension office will sponsor a pet show at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
Saturday will be the last day of the fair with activities throughout the day.
Carnival rides like this one will again be set up on the fairgrounds.