JERSEYVILLE – A little bit of rain hasn’t stopped the Jersey County Fair from kicking off with a strong start this year.
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Fair President Phil Ringhausen said despite the rain delaying the Jersey County Fair Parade on Tuesday, the fairground festivities are now in full swing. He said last night’s free concert in the grandstands, and both of yesterday’s livestock shows, went well with even more exciting events on the schedule.
Tonight’s Fair Queen Pageant is set for 7 to 11 p.m., and Ringhausen said there’s no shortage of contestants this year.
“We never have a problem getting our Little Miss [contestants],” he said, adding there are 16 Little Miss contestants in the 2025 Pageant. “They come out of the woodwork for that – but we also have six Senior contestants going tonight, so we ought to have a really nice pageant.”
Rodeo fans can expect an even bigger and better show than last year, as Ringhausen said they went with a new promoter for 2025 to offer a “different level” of entertainment with a wider variety of rodeo series events and participants. The new and improved Rodeo is set for Thursday night from 7 to 11 p.m.
Friday night will bring the Pro Pulling League Super Pro Showdown to the grandstands from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Modified “Super Farm Tractors” and more will join local tractors for a night of tractor pulling entertainment.
Even more tractor pulling fun is set for the “Saturday Night Shootout,” a term encompassing each exciting event on Saturday evening. Kids can get in on the tractor pulling festivities with the Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull from 5 to 6:30, before the Saturday Night Shootout from 6 to 11:50 p.m. showcases everything from bone stock tractors to modified trucks and more.
Ringhausen said Sunday’s Power Wheel Derby is always a blast for the kids who participate, with a designated area just off the main track. The Demo Derby on Sunday night will mark a face-off between vehicles in multiple classes, including mini vans/SUVS/mini trucks, full size modified, bone stock compact, and more. Both events will be held an hour earlier than usual to increase participation, with the Power Wheels Derby starting at 4 p.m. and the main Demo Derby starting at 5 p.m.
Of course, there are great times to be had outside of the fair’s grandstand events. Tinsely amusement rides, a variety of fair foods, and two free shows can be found throughout the park grounds, including a canine stunt show and the fan-favorite Pig Races which have returned for 2025.
“Tinsley Amusements is top-notch, probably one of the best in the country,” Ringhausen said. “We’re very fortunate to have them for almost 40 years as our rides, and they do a great job. It’s just a state-of-the-art event.”
Ringhausen added that one slight change made this year may carry over to future fairs. The Talent Show, usually hosted on Tuesday night, was moved to Sunday night – but not because of the rain. Ringhausen said many of the Talent Show contestants also wanted to participate in the parade on Tuesday, so the reschedule worked better for their schedules – as such, future County Fairs will likely feature Sunday night Talent Shows.
A full schedule of Jersey County Fair events for 2025 and more details about grandstand pricing are available on the Jersey County Fair Website, with more updates available on their official Facebook page.
