The Riley County Fair in Manhattan will be held starts today July 26 and runs until Monday July 30 in Cico Park. The first major event of the fair is the parade on today, at 6:00 P.M. starting at City Park and going down Poyntz Avenue to the Manhattan Town Center Mall. Everyone is invited to attend either as a participant or with a parade entry. Pre-entries are not required and the lineup starts at 5:30 P.M. in the Manhattan City Park. Parade participants may hand out materials walking beside vehicles, but may not throw objects from vehicles.

The Ottaway Amusement Company is back with carnival rides Thursday through Monday evenings. The rides open at 6:00 P.M. each evening and continue on until the last rider goes home. On Sunday and Monday, July 29th and 30th, from 6-10 P.M. United Way of Riley County, Q-103.5 radio, Pepsi-Cola, and the Riley County Fair Board will be sponsoring "wristband night," at the carnival. For a donation of $13 and two empty Pepsi product cans, each individual can ride all rides for the one donation. The aluminum will be recycled and donated to United Way of Riley County.

Youth ages 7 through 18 will certainly want to plan a Riley County Fair visit on Saturday, July 28. The first annual Riley County Fair Scavenger Hunt will run throughout the day. Youth can choose to complete the hunt as an individual or as a team of four anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. that day.

Age categories include Juniors, age 7-13, and Seniors, age 14-18. The hunt will take participants thirty to forty-five minutes to complete. Winners will be announced at 5:00 p.m. that day in Hurlburt Arena. Prizes include movie rental passes to Blockbuster, meals from Pizza Hut and Vista and FCE Foodstand meal combos.

Three winners will be selected from each age category, and three team winners will also be chosen.

The Kaw Valley Rodeo will be back with more chills and thrills as major cowboys and cowgirls from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit stop in Manhattan Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each performance start at 8:00 P.M. at Wells Arena in Cico Park.

Several classes are open to Riley County residents and adjoining counties to enter at the fair. Classes are available for cake decorating, arts and handiwork, clothing construction and photography.

A pedal tractor pull has drawn nearly 100 participants in previous years and this year’s numbers will be even greater. It is scheduled for Thursday, July 26th with registration starting at 6:30 p.m. in Hurlburt Hall and the contest starting at 7:30 p.m. All contestants must be at least four years of age and not older than twelve.

There will be 4-H livestock shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, hundreds of 4-H projects and open class exhibits, many commercial exhibits and lots of different kinds of food to eat. There will be something for everyone at the 2001 Riley County Fair and Kaw Valley Rodeo.