Chili cook-off a success
February 14, 2013 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
About 100 people at tended the inaugural Three Rivers Har mony Fest chili cook-off and home-brew beer fundraiser Feb. 2.
More than $800 was collected to help fund this year’s Harmony Fest, which marks its 20th an niversary Labor Day weekend.
In the chili competi tion, Fred Pruitt from Three Rivers Health took top honors, with Pub 21 and Paisano’s Bar and Grill coming in first- and sec ond runners-up, respec tively.
Also participating were Frankie’s, L.A. Cafe, and Main Street Cafe.
The beer competition featured seven beers. Matt Ryan, from Constan tine Brewing, took top honors in the dark beer category.
Frank Farrand was sec ond runner-up in the pale competition, while Oak Everitt was second runner-up.
Josh Turner to headline fair
February 11, 2013 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
A two-act evening of entertainment will be the musical highlight of the 2013 St. Joseph County Grange Fair in September.
Fair manager Bill Johnson said Josh Turner will headline the Sept. 21 show. Meanwhile,
Kix Brooks, who teamed with Ronnie Dunn to form Brooks and Dunn and reel off a string of hits starting in the early 1990s, will serve as the warm-up act.
Tickets for the two-act package go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Turner, a 35-year-old South Carolina native, has a résumé featuring four No. 1 hits: “Your Man,” “Would You Go With Me,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance” and “All Over Me.”
His breakthrough hit, “Long, Black Train,” was released in 2003.
Ticket prices are $55 for rows, $45 for regular track seating and $35 for grandstand seating.
More information about the 2013 entertainment may be obtained by phoning the fair office, at 467-8935.
Fair set to announce entertainment
February 8, 2013 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
Officials from the St. Joseph County Grange Fair are set to announce the entertainment lineup for the 2013 event.
Fair manager Bill Johnson said the announcement will be made public Saturday, which is about two months later than usual.
The fair drew a winner last year, as country/western artist Alan Jackson played to a sold-out crowd of more than 5,000 people. Tickets for that show went on sale Feb. 29.
The seven-day fair this year begins Sept. 15.
Information about its 2013 entertainment will be available through local media and on the fair’s website, which may be found at centrevillefair.com.
Mendon Kiwanis Showboat tonight
November 1, 2012 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
The Mendon Kiwanis Showboat kicks off for the 56th time this evening, the first of a three-night run.
“White Christmas” is the theme of this year’s presentation, which begins at 7:30 p.m., with additional shows staged at the same time Friday and Saturday at Mendon Elementary School’s gymnasium.
Dale Eickhoff, head of this year’s Showboat, said rehearsals have been taking place for the past month. A group of about 40 members are a part of the cast, which will present about 15 songs.
Cost is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. All proceeds go to the Mendon Kiwanis Club, whose members use the money to support scholarships for high school students and other school-related benefits.
Good attendance at the fair
September 25, 2012 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
More than 142,000 people attended the St. Joseph County Grange Fair over the course of its seven-day run last week, officials from the fair board announced Monday.
Despite rain Friday night and Saturday morning, a strong crowd to the Saturday evening Alan Jackson concert helped push the weekly attendance to a point that it surpassed 2011 attendance by 2 percent, according to fair manager Bill Johnson.
In a media release issued Monday by Johnson, vendors were satisfied with the week and an overwhelmingly positive response was fielded regarding Tuesday’s monster-truck show and Wednesday’s demolition derby. Johnson said efforts would be made to bring back both attractions in 2013.
The fair’s average weekly attendance is about 150,000.
Weather a factor in attendance
September 24, 2012 by WLKM · Leave a Comment
The 162nd St. Joseph County Grange Fair is in the books, and organizers of the event said weather – as it usually is – was a key factor in attendance.
Though a final figure for the seven-day event won’t be available until sometime today, a sunny Saturday afternoon coupled with more than 5,000 people attending the event-ending Alan Jackson concert helped make up for a wet and cold Friday night.
The Centreville-based fair is the second-to-last county fair in the state and typically experiences a variety of extreme weather conditions. Fair officials said this year was no exception.
