Music, rides, egg on a stick

Joe Diffie
Joe Diffie

— All’s fair this weekend through next as the Arkansas State Fair - featuring rides, games, animals, food, and music - kicks off Friday.

As for the food, vendors will sell all the usual fare: Corn dogs, cotton candy and tremendous turkey legs. Some more unusual foods include fried Swiss and rye on a stick, egg on a stick, fried elephant ears on a stick, fried candy bars and chocolate-dipped bacon.

As for the music, Friday’s 8 p.m. headliner is The Guess Who, Canadian rockers best known for their 1970 No. 1 hit “American Woman.”

The opening act was originally scheduled to be Tesla, but as noted on the fair’s site: “A family situation of one of the members made it necessary for them to cancel their performance. Hopefully, Tesla’s schedule will allow them to appear at the 2011 Arkansas State Fair.”

Saturday at 7:30 p.m. is the Arkansas State Fair Championship Demolition Derby and Monster Truck Exhibition, featuring Reptoid and Sergeant Smash. Admission is $13 for adults and $9 for children (free for ages 2 and younger). Tickets - which include fair gate admission - are sold at the fair ticket office, at the door at Barton Coliseum and through Ticketmaster, call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.

Country singer Joe Diffie will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

There are several advance ticket price specials and packages, including a $45 season gate pack, a $42.95 family value pack and $22 ride bands available at the box office and participating Walgreens locations.

The fair also offers a lunch promotion on weekdays - free gate admission and parking from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Next week the action continues with country singer Easton Corbin performing at 7 p.m. Oct. 14, followed by another country singer, former American Idol finalist Bucky Convington, at 8:30 p.m. Rockers Loverboy will perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 15.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) will present Riding in the Rock at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 and 16. Tickets are $10 to $25 (free for children ages 2 and younger) and are sold at the fair ticket office, at the door at Barton Coliseum and through Ticketmaster.

Arkansas State Fair Friday through Oct. 17, Arkansas State Fairgrounds, Little Rock.

Parking: $5 Tickets: $8 adults, $4 children ages 6-12 and ages 60 and older. (Advance passes for $7 adult gate admission and $4 parking are available at the fair box office.) (501) 372-8341 arkansasstatefair.com

Weekend, Pages 37 on 10/07/2010

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