Fairs And Festivals

Briefs 8-28-08 (08/28/08)
Music will return to the gallery at Arts on Grand tonight after a brief hiatus due to Mainstreet Market. This week's music will be provided by popular local entertainers Jerry Roberts and Dennis Wienke. They will perform a variety of traditional music, country music, and rock-and-roll oldies beginning at 7 p.m. A $5 donation is requested, with all proceeds going to the musicians...

Briefs 8-27-08 (08/27/08)
Music will return to the gallery at Arts on Grand this Thursday after a brief hiatus due to Mainstreet Market. This week's music will be provided by popular local entertainers Jerry Roberts and Dennis Wienke. They will perform a variety of traditional music, country music, and rock-and-roll oldies beginning at 7 p.m. A $5 donation is requested, with all proceeds going to the musicians...

National Anthem tryouts for Corbin Bleu concert (08/27/08)
Friday, Sept. 12, National Anthem tryouts for area high school students will be held in the 4-H Auditorium during the Clay County Fair. The winner of the competition will perform the National Anthem before the Corbin Bleu and Drew Seeley concert on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m...

Biden no stranger to Spencer Democrats (08/26/08)
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware hoped for the top spot on the ticket less than a year ago when he stopped at the Clay County Fair. Friday he was selected as presumptive nominee Barack Obama's running mate. Democrats hope Biden's expertise in foreign policy and his blue-collar appeal will be a draw for voters in the Nov. 4 general election...

Hessman honored by the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame (08/21/08)
Dave Hessman, former Clay County Extension Education Director, was inducted into the 2008 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 17. Eighty-two Iowa counties have participated this year and selected inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H...

Briefs 8-20-08 (08/20/08)
The Iowa Great Lakes Region Antique Automobile Club will be on display through Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Southpark Mall in south Spencer. Car enthusiasts and history buffs will enjoy this display. On Aug. 24 The Hands of Harmony Swinging Seniors will be entertaining us at 2:30 p.m. Come enjoy the display and entertainment...

Creative Culinary welcomes new contests (08/20/08)
Area culinary masters will be put to the challenge when they participate in new canned goods and oven products contests at the 2008 Clay County Fair. The new contests are sure to please fairgoers and competitors alike. Marking the first of seven new contests is the "Busy Women's Casseroles Contest". ...

Briefs 8-19-08 (08/19/08)
The Iowa Great Lakes Region Antique Automobile Club will be on display through Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Southpark Mall in south Spencer. Car enthusiasts and history buffs will enjoy this display. On Aug. 24 The Hands of Harmony Swinging Seniors will be entertaining us at 2:30 p.m. Come enjoy the display and entertainment...

Local competitors 'fair' well (08/16/08)
Several Clay County residents participated in judged events at the Iowa State Fair. Here are some of the local results: Breeding Beef Dustin Biedenfeld, Peterson, Limousine, Purple- Reserve Champion and Blue; Jenna Biedenfeld, Peterson, Limousin, Purple;...

'People's Choice Salsa Contest' to tempt fairgoers taste buds (08/14/08)
A new and inventive competition, the "People's Choice Salsa Contest", comes to the 2008 Clay County Fair. The contest will be on Saturday, Sept. 13 and is part of the Creative Culinary division which includes competitive categories in canned goods and oven products...

McCain has invite to Clay County Fair (08/14/08)
State Rep. Mike May, a Spirit Lake Republican, said he has been in contact with the John McCain campaign and hopes the likely Republican nominee will include Spencer's biggest event in a post-convention victory tour. The 2008 Republican National Convention will take place Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. The 2008 edition of the Clay County Fair is Sept. 6-14. Along with timing, crowd numbers can't hurt the odds of a Spencer visit -- the fair drew more than 319,000 visitors in 2007...

Milford woman wins Iowa Lottery promotion (08/13/08)
DES MOINES -- A northwest Iowa woman drove away from the Iowa State Fair in a new, 2008 four-wheel drive Chevy Tahoe Hybrid®, the grand-prize in the Iowa Lottery's "Set of Wheels" promotion. Nancy Fear of Milford was selected as the grand-prize winner in the promotion drawing Thursday on the Susan Knapp Amphitheater stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Fear said she was excited to share the news with her adult children...

Briefs 8-13-08 (08/13/08)
St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hartley, is sponsoring a community-wide benefit for the family of Jan Hall to help defray medical bills incurred during Jan's battle with illness. The free-will dinner and auction will be held at the Hartley Community Center on Thursday, Aug. ...

Agency issues call for fair workers (08/13/08)
Iowa Workforce Development is renewing its annual call for workers during the nine days of the Clay County Fair. People who want to work at the Sept. 6-14 event may sign up now at the Iowa Workforce Development office, 217 West Fifth St., Spencer, either in person or by calling 712-262-1971 ext. 123. Hours for the sign up are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday...

Briefs 8-12-08 (08/12/08)
Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Northwest Iowa's professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces. To help people cope with the death of a loved one, Hospice of Northwest Iowa is offering an 8-week Understanding Grief Support Group. The group will meet each Wednesday evening through Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m...

Calhoun County's Quade crowned state fair queen (08/12/08)
Ashley Quade, 17, of Calhoun County was crowned the 2008 Iowa State Fair Queen on Saturday, August 9, by Gary VanAernam, president of the Fair Board. The ceremony took place on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage, sponsored by Pepsi. The daughter of Kim and Paul Quade, Ashley was chosen out of the 102 contestants who participated in this year's competition. All had been crowned queen of their respective county fairs prior to the State Fair...

Briefs 8-06-08 (08/06/08)
Losing a loved one is indescribable to someone who has not felt the loss of death. Hospice of Northwest Iowa's professional team understands the tragedy of losing a loved one and they identify with the difficult decisions and emotions that the person left behind faces. To help people cope with the death of a loved one, Hospice of Northwest Iowa is offering an 8-week Understanding Grief Support Group. The group will meet each Wednesday evening through Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m...

Winning 4-H Club rewarded (08/05/08)
Lincoln Lions 4-H Club was rewarded with a picnic complements of Clay County Extension during the club's July 20 meeting held at Scharnburg Park. The 4-H club was given this honor because they won the 4-H Share the Fun Club Challenge during Communications Day...

Briefs 7-25-08 (07/25/08)
The Spencer Family YMCA will be hosting its annual carnival today at the YMCA. It is open to all Spencer kids in kindergarten through sixth grades only. All playground parks will be closed that day and will meet at the YMCA. Also, any child in Kids Kamp or childcare at the YMCA will be able to attend. Kids can purchase tickets at the YMCA or through any park counselor...

New grandstand stage arrives in pieces (07/24/08)
Early delivery for Mr. Phil Hurst and the Clay County Fair. With original projections calling for the delivery of the Clay County Fair's new performance stage for the grandstand in August, Bob Maurer delivered a bit early. A large group of fair board members, the Spencer Ambassadors and others were on hand to watch the arrival of the state-of-the-art stage, designed to allow more personal and dynamic interaction between the Grandstand acts and audiences in the stands...

Annual wooden boat show launches July 26 (07/23/08)
Classic boats will line the shoreline of West Lake Okoboji later this moth as the 27th Annual Antique and Classic Wooden Boat show launches Saturday, July 26. "We run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the wooden boat show in front of the wooden roller coaster," said Paul Hedberg, president of the Jerry Dyhrkopp chapter of the Iowa Great Lakes Antique and Classic Wooden Boating Society. ...

Much achieved on Achievement Day (07/23/08)
The 2008 Clay County Fair grew by hundreds of exhibits Tuesday as members of 15 Clay County 4-H clubs entered potential projects which were evaluated and critiqued during the annual 4-H Achievement Day. The daylong event, which was hosted in the 4-H auditorium on the Clay County fairgrounds, allowed youth to showcase what they've learned in their respective project areas...

Briefs 7-23-08 (07/23/08)
The Spencer Area Farmers Market will be held every Wednesday and Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., in the Southpark Mall parking lot. Come see the homegrown, fresh produce for sale. --- Don Piper, a best-selling author, speaker and minister, will share his message of hope and healing beginning at 7 p.m. ...

Firecracker 50 debuts at Clay County Speedway (07/10/08)
Chad Simpson made his own fireworks as he drove the World Dirt Racing League win at Clay County Speedway. Simpson would lead all fifty laps despite a series of caution flags that kept the field close. Chad Simpson (Mount Vernon, IA) started on the outside front row and had the lead as he and pole-sitter Denny Eckrich came off of turn two. Simpson rode the top shelf to the win all night...

Rock 'n' roll legends highlight Tuesday's fair (06/20/08)
Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers, The Diamonds, are set to perform in front of the Clay County Fair Grandstand twice on Tuesday, Sept. 9 - at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Joining The Diamonds for the two shows, will be Iowa Rock' N Roll Music Association Hall-of-Famers, The Fabulous Traidmarx...

Turner to take stage Sept. 12 (06/14/08)
The versatile sound of hot country artist Josh Turner will entertain fans at this year's Clay County Fair. Special guest Luke Bryan will open for Turner at 7:30 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 12 in the Grandstand. A multi-platinum recording artist, Turner is best known for his unique sounding vocals that bring a fresh feel to today's country scene. ...

RiseFest brings Mercy Me to northwest Iowa (06/06/08)
RISE Ministries, Inc. will host the fourth Annual RiseFest on June 21 in Orange City, at the Northwestern College Soccer Complex. This year's Christian music festival is bringing you Mercy Me for only $15 a ticket (children 10 and under are free). Admission to the day-long event also includes the popular bands Go Fish, Addison Road, and DecembeRadio...

Nashville superstar Aldean to perform at Clay County Fair (06/05/08)
Country's new breed of fun-loving, down-home boys will travel to the 2008 Clay County Fair to entertain fans on Sunday, Sept. 7. Eric Church will open the show at 7:30 p.m. with superstar, Jason Aldean to follow. A Macon, Ga. native, Aldean, made his big break on the country music scene in 2006 with the pulsing beat of his hit song "Hicktown." The popular tune helped make a relatively unknown artist one of today's hottest country stars. ...

Beach Boys to close Clay County Fair (05/29/08)
Rock and Roll superstars, The Beach Boys, will provide an exciting conclusion to the 2008 Clay County Fair with an appearance on the Grandstand stage at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14. Formed in 1961, The Beach Boys have served as one of America's most accomplished groups. Their songs of California girls, surfing and cars have reached across all generations and now will entertain fans at the 2008 Clay County Fair...

Werk to join the Clay County Fair Staff (05/28/08)
Robyn Werk, a West Central Minnesota native and recent South Dakota State University graduate, will take on the position of assistant to the secretary manager of the Clay County Fair. Werk graduated with a degree in agriculture journalism and a minor in animal science...

Grandstand acts have room to roam (05/24/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Sure, the performers are going to draw the focus most nights at the 2008 Clay County Fair. But the stage under their feet is worth some attention, too. It's new, it's bigger and it will bring the fair's favorite acts closer to the seats than they've ever been...

Two 'High School Musical' stars to perform at Clay County Fair (05/17/08)
Corbin Bleu a star of Disney's High School Musical and High School Musical 2 and Drew Seeley, who co-starred with Bleu in the High School Musical: The Concert, will be appearing at the Clay County Fair, Sept. 13 -- the final Saturday night of the fair...

Briefs 05-03 (05/03/08)
Spencer fall youth football sign-ups today Registration for the Midwest Youth Football League fall session, for Spencer students entering the third through sixth grades will take place from 2-4 p.m., today in the Sacred Heart Catholic School gym. Registration forms will be available on site and participants will be fitted for helmets and shoulder pads at that time...

Briefs 05-02 (05/02/08)
Spencer fall youth football sign-ups Registration for the Midwest Youth Football League fall session, for Spencer students entering the third through sixth grades will take place from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, May 3 in the Sacred Heart Catholic School gym. Registration forms will be available on site and participants will be fitted for helmets and shoulder pads at that time...

Briefs 05-01 (05/01/08)
Master's Mile participants Spencer High School will be hosting a Master's Mile at the Spencer Relays tonight. The Master's Mile will take place at approximately 5:45 p.m., tonight following the 4x800 meter relay. It is open to all ages 18 and older, male and female. All competitors should report to the finish line by 5:30 p.m...

Spencer FFA earn honors at State FFA Leadership Conference (04/23/08)
Eleven members of the Spencer FFA chapter attended the 80th annual state leadership conference April 14-15 on the campus of Iowa State University. Over 5,000 FFA members gathered in blue jackets to celebrate their successes over the past year. Students participated in leadership workshops, and attended educational tours as well as visiting an agricultural career fair. ...