Clark County Fair: Rides, food, a rodeo and yes, even pig races

LOGANDALE — Jan Hansen said the Clark County Fair reminds him of his hometown of Gooding, Idaho.

“It reminds me of growing up,” he said. “The old fairgrounds had lots of shade, and this has that feel.”

Hansen, who now lives in St. George, Utah, went to the Clark County Fair with his wife, Cydnie, for the first time in several years.

“It’s a small country fair that’s only an hour’s drive from us,” she said. “You don’t get to experience that old-time feel very often.”

The fair, which began Wednesday, runs until today from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1301 W. Whipple Ave. in Logandale, more than 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

According to fair Manager Kevin Willard, nearly 71,500 people visited the fair last year and the largest attendance topped out at 84,000.

“Usually when we have good weather we expect good crowds, and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate this year,” he said.

The National Weather Service said temperatures today in Logandale and the Las Vegas Valley will be the high 80s with winds between 5 and 10 mph.

Events, entertainment, rides, games, vendors, food, a livestock show and exhibits will be held throughout the day. The main attraction, the PRCA rodeo, will be held at the Rodeo Arena at 6 p.m.

Another popular event today is Swifty Swine Pig Racing, which will be held every two hours from noon to 6 p.m. at the Pig Racing Arena.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife will be offering events for children and adults alike.

Presentations on boat safety, hunting and fishing, as well as a catch-and-release fish tank for kids 12 and under and an archery range for children 18 and under will be offered throughout the day.

“We’re here to give people an experiential introduction to the Department of Wildlife,” said Doug Neilsen, conservation education supervisor. “Oftentimes when people move to Nevada they give away their hunting and fishing gear not knowing that even though we’re in the desert, Nevada has a lot of wildlife.”

Neilsen said he and the other staff members will also be talking to fair attendees who have never experienced the outdoors before.

“When people come from areas with a lot of trees and water, the desert scares them a bit, but we’re here to tell them what’s available and where to go,” he said.

Cedar City, Utah, resident Michelle Campeau drove to Logandale with her family for the weekend.

“We’ve been coming for 10 years and we have family in the area,” she said. “It’s fun to get away for a while.”

According to Campeau, her two children enjoy the carnival, events and food.

“There’s so much to do and it’s very family-oriented,” she said.

Jeanne Higbee and her mother, Sharon Haworth, Alamo and Henderson residents respectively, have been going to the fair for the past 25 years.

Haworth, a former teacher, remembers bringing her students to the fair each year.

“It’s a wonderful environment,” she said.

Haworth’s grandchildren are exhibiting steer at the fair’s livestock show, which is something her husband also did in the fair’s early years.

“My husband showed steer 50 years ago when the fair was in Vegas,” she said. “He made enough money to buy a Cadillac but instead he invested in more animals.”

For information about the Clark County Fair, visit www.ccfair.com or call 1-888-876-3247.

Contact Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Find her on Twitter: @AnnFriedmanRJ.