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Highlands Today

Highlands County Fair Opens Today

Armband Prices Lower This Year

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Inspector Ron Jacobson looks over one of the kiddie rides, the Mini Wave Swinger, on Thursday before the opening of the 72nd Highlands County Fair at Firemen's Field in Sebring.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: January 23, 2009

SEBRING - Like a racing pit crew, workers bent down Thursday with their grease guns to squirt a dab on the wheel bearings of the Indy Racing cars.

But this Indy Racing is not for professional drivers, it's just one of 30 rides Reithhoffer Shows will feature on the Midway of the Highlands County Fair, which opens at 5 p.m. today.

Ride operator Stephan Bukvic manned the controls testing each car on Indy Racing, which is a rollercoaster-type ride.

It's a family ride for kids, teens and adults, he said.

The 72nd annual fair will have a better assortment of rides this year including the Giant Wheel, which is a larger ferris wheel than has been featured at past fairs, former fair president Richard McClain said Thursday.

"Youth and agriculture, that's what it's all about," McClain said as he made the rounds of the fairgrounds. The fair promotes FFA and 4-H and agriculture. Food sales at the Firemen's barbecue kitchen supports Project Graduation.

There will be about 100 poultry and rabbit entries in the small animal barn, he said, and 15 or 16 heifers and 90 swine entries.

Exhibiters prepared their displays and the ride operators tested and cleaned their colorful thrill and family rides.

Along with the sights and sounds of a fair coming alive, the smell of freshly popped popcorn on Thursday confirmed that food, fun, entertainment and excitement was just a day away.

Though the printed fair schedules show $20 for the armband for unlimited rides, McClain said, due to the slow economy, the unlimited-ride armbands will be $17.

Unlike some fairs, which only have two armband days, at the Highlands County Fair every day is an armband day, he said. It's the best value for those who enjoy the rides.

The Midway rides include, the Avalanche, Pharaohs Fury, Tornado, Crazy Bus, Power Surge, Zipper, Fireball, the Fun Slide and many more.

The 72nd Highlands County Fair continues each day through the final day on Jan. 31.

Highlights this weekend include two beauty pageants.

The Junior Miss Highlands County Pageant, with 17 contestants, will be held at 7 tonight in the Expo Pavilion.

The Miss Highlands County Pageant, with 11 contestants, will be held at 7 p.m., Saturday, in the Expo Pavilion.

The fairgrounds are located at the northwest corner of Kenilworth Boulevard and Highlands Avenue in Sebring.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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