Community

After a week of 12-hour days getting the displays ready in the Home Economics building for the Missouri State Fair, new superintendent Lynne Beasley said things are running smoothly for her and her assistants.

Linda Hoover never intended to cause any problems. She just wanted to add some fun and visual excitement to her mural, which is in process on the side of the Fine Arts Building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

The Loehrig German Band was entertaining the crowd that built up at 4 p.m. inside the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall. The Missouri Travel Council marked its 50th anniversary with a sampling of Missouri wines and craft beers, and the line formed early. Missouri wineries, O’Fallon Brewery, Schlafly Beer and County Distributing offered samples, along with big cookies. Cookies and beer? That redefines “afternoon snack.” — Bob Satnan

The Missouri State Fair Idol competition will really kick into gear today with the first of four days of semifinals. Through six days of preliminaries, the event — in its seventh year — has proven it can survive beyond the involvement of creator and emcee Thom Fuller, who retired after last year’s competition.

Fairgoers can receive up to half-off admission on Tuesday if they bring canned food items for the second annual Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive.

Paul Revere wants to make one thing perfectly clear: Having a good time is what matters most.

No matter where you are on the Missouri State Fairgrounds, you can’t escape Katy and Kevin Holbert.

Laura Long showed up at the Beef House at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for a planned family meal. To her surprise, what was planned was more than a meal and the results were far more fulfilling than any steak.

The exhibitors at the Agriculture-Science Street Fair had many lessons for the fairgoers crowded under the Show-Me tent on Saturday — What does a light wave have in common with Jolly Rancher candy? Can you make a robot from a toothbrush? What happens after a daisy is dipped in liquid nitrogen? — but the most important takeaway was this: Science is all around us, a part of our everyday lives.

Lynn Reid has been involved with the Missouri State Fair Queen Competition for years, and she’s never seen anything like what happened Friday in the long minutes before Emily Wood captured the crown.

38 Special plans to rock its audience into the night on Saturday at the Missouri State Fair. For more than three decades, the band has been true to its roots, playing Southern rock and roll.

The Larry the Cable Guy look-alike contest will be later in the fair. But if there was a Travis McMullen (Democrat columnist) look-alike contest, I’d say Harry Clark, guitarist for the bluegrass band The Roys, would have a good shot at winning. — John Hansen

Fairgoers have an opportunity to mix some history and education in with their fun during this year’s Missouri State Fair.

Despite cooler temperatures, the heat and drought weren’t too far from Gov. Jay Nixon’s mind as he spoke during the Missouri State Fair’s opening ceremonies Thursday.

Sometimes folks overlook the second floor of the Fine Arts Building when browsing during the Missouri State Fair, but that wasn’t an issue on Wednesday night as a packed house was on hand for the “MO 50” reception.

The hot weather that has scalded mid-Missouri for most of the summer is taking a vacation  — just in time for the start of the 110th Missouri State Fair.

• Spotlight

The worst thing to happen to the Nace Brothers Band in a while quickly turned into the best thing to happen to them in a while. In May, bass player and fiddler Tim Williams retired after 31 years with the band, but on June 1, Paul Greenlease was on the bass and providing the other three members — lead singer and drummer David Nace, guitarist Jimmy Nace and keyboardist T.J. Erhardt — with fresh inspiration.

“But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God

Otterville Presbyterian Church will host an ice cream social from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at 101 Grover St. in Otterville.

The Bible group will meet at 10 a.m. Monday at the Harmony Baptist Association, 1950 state Route TT.  

Drivers at Missouri State Fair Speedway will be racing for more than a state fair championship on Aug. 19.