The opening night of the 2013 Warren County Fair attracted an estimated crowd of 1,000 people, according to Bob Wattler, Fair Board president.“Last night was wonderful,” he told The Record, referring to Tuesday's opening. “We had a great queen contest, and the kids just love the new carnival rides. We’re hoping for bigger and better nights the rest of the week.”The theme this year is “How Country Feels!”Daytime temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s, which should help attract fairgoers, Wattler said.“It’s kind of hard to tell right now, but I think people will want to get out,” Wattler added. “It’s going to be warm enough, but not like last year.“The weather is just beautiful,” he added. “Last year, everyone was complaining how hot it was. This year, everyone is saying it’s cold.”By about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday — the opening day for the fair — approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the queen contest, Wattler reported a strong turnout at the Warren County Fairgrounds.In addition to the queen contest, the Fair’s schedule of motor sports events also are expected to draw large crowds.“People here just love the motor sports events,” Wattler remarked, adding that there will be musical entertainment in the beer garden each night as well.Saturday’s schedule of events will feature many games and activities geared toward children and youth, Wattler noted.There will be a frog and turtle race, games, a watermelon eating contest and the greased pig scramble, as well as the carnival rides.“That’s what the Fair is all about — the kids,” Wattler said.Information about the 2013 Fair can be found by visiting www.wcmofair.com.

Fair ParadeThe annual Fair parade kicked off the week’s activities Sunday, June 30, attracting a variety of entries and a large crowd of spectators.Area law enforcement officials stated that there were no incidents reported during the parade.“It went extremely well,” said Greg Houdyshell, Warrenton police chief. “We had a large group of people attend and there were no issues from our standpoint.“It was a really good, local event,” he added.Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison offered a similar assessment.“We had perfect weather, a good turnout and everyone was well behaved,” he remarked.

The contestants for 2013 Warren County Fair Queen toss their hats during a dance routine performed to the Jason Aldean song "She's Country." The Fair runs through Saturday, July 6. This year's Fair Court is Hanna Keene, queen; Haley Long, first runner-up; Madie Heath, second runner-up; Kristen Toedebusch, third runner-up; and Lydia Mittler, Miss Congeniality.