2023 Great Northern Fair is on for next week

The 2023 Great Northern Fair looks like it will be another jam-packed event with tons of entertainment, rides shows and 4-H events over the course of next week.

The Great Northern Fair is one of the biggest local events of the summer in the area and has been expanding its entertainment offerings in the last few years with some acts returning from last year, along with a number of new ones this year.

Great Northern Fairgrounds Manager Frank English did not respond to requests for an interview about this year’s fair.

Information provided by Hill County Extension about 4-H activities and taken from the promotional poster was used for this article.

Sunday, July 16, is the Hill County 4-H setup day, with 4-H members, leaders and parents meeting in the Bigger Better Barn and Chuckwagon at 10 a.m. to set up for their myriad events over the next week.

People involved in 4-H won’t see their events start until Tuesday July 18, and the general public won’t see the fair proper really get going until the next day.

That Tuesday is Interview Day for 4-H, where participants will present their projects to judges, and the 4-H Chuckwagon will open at 8 a.m. for the students’ projects.

Awards for the projects will be announced at 1 p.m. that day with the champions having their pictures taken with their awards shortly after.

Wednesday the fair itself begins with the Midway West Amusements Carnival opening in the late afternoon and the Junior Rodeo starting at 3 p.m. in the grandstand arena.

4-H will also have its Horse Show in the morning and its Dog Show in the late afternoon with competitions for animal handling, looks and physical feats.

Concessions will be available at the Bigger Better Barn, 4-H Chuckwagon and at various vendors at the fairgrounds throughout the week.

Thursday, July 20’s big event is the Northern Rodeo Association’s Great Northern Ram Rodeo at 7 p.m. in the evening and the carnival all afternoon and evening into the night.

There will also be a series of meetings for 4-H exhibitors and show participants throughout the day.

Friday, July 21, will see a number of 4-H Shows along with Montana State University-Northern and the Northern Rodeo Association putting on another Great Northern Ram Rodeo at the grandstand arena at 7 p.m.

4-H will have their Beef Show and Small Animal Show that day as well, the former in the morning and latter in the afternoon. The Small Animal Show will include cats, poultry, rabbits and various pocket pets.

At 2 p.m. 4-H will also have a Dog Agility Demonstration.

As for Saturday, July 22, the grandstand arena will have a tractor pull with local vehicles and semis at 2 p.m. and a night Show at 7 p.m., with competitors from across the area pitting their farm vehicles against each other to see who can do the most the fastest.

4-H will also have a big day that day with its Swine Show early in the morning, a Sheep and Goat Show just after lunchtime, a Round Robin Competition at 3 p.m. and another Round Robin at 4 p.m. for 4-H parents and alumni.

Later in the day 4-H will also be setting up their Market Sale, one of the biggest events at the fair every year.

The fair will also have a number of free entertainment acts, including T.C. Hatter & Marcianne, a clown comedy duo who will be strolling the fair Thursday through Saturday, along with Dan Paulus, a comedy magic act.

Sunday, July 23, will mark the last day of the fair, with some of the attractions closing earlier in the evening than during the rest of the week. However, the fair and 4-H will still have plenty to offer on that last day.

The Havre Jaycees Demolition Derby, one of the fair’s biggest events, will begin that afternoon at 5 p.m. at the grandstand arena with vehicles crashing and bashing around the arena for the entertainment of the crowd.

4-H will also have a big last day with 4-H participants and supporters being invited to a 4-H Appreciation Breakfast sponsored by CHS Big Sky from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the 4-H Chuckwagon and their Market Sale later that day in the Bigger Better Barn.

The sale will feature local 4-H’ers’ beef, swine, goats and more and is one of the biggest events for 4-H during the year.

Sunday will also be the last day for the Farmer’s Daughter Variety Act and the Touch Down Circus Show, both of which will also be running Friday and Saturday as well.

The Freckle Farm Petting Zoo will also be open all days of the fair with pony rides for children and animals to feed and pet.

The fair will also feature paid actvities in the form of Gelly Ball, a mechanical bull, Adventure Zone Inflatable Slides, bounce houses and lots of games.

There will also be live music throughout the fair by VooDoo Cadillac, Cole Kleinhart and Shake Down County.

Parking for the fair is free before 1 p.m. but $5 a day after that, or $20 for the week.