Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Colton
Dating back to the 1930s, the former Colton Stock Show has become the annual Colton Uniontown Fair. The latest installment will be Friday.
Livestock, petting animals, shop exhibits, arts and crafts and food will take over the Colton school grounds for the one-day event. School buses will be moved out of the bus shed and cattle will move in.
Kids from kindergarten through seniors in high school will take part in the fair, fitting and showing beef, sheep and swine, as well as small animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs.
“You tend to have the smallest kids with the biggest animals,” said seventh-year fair manager Debbie Niehenke.
Goats will return this year after a couple years’ absence.
“We haven’t had anybody in the goat business the last few years,” said Niehenke.
The fair competitions are open to FFA or 4H in Colton, Uniontown and Pullman.
“Exhibitors come in and transform the school into a fairground,” said Niehenke.
On the day of the event, which coincides with the seventh annual Colton FFA plant sale, the activity begins early.
“Animals come in at 5 a.m. and by 5 p.m. they’re starting to leave,” said Niehenke.
The beef show takes place on the front lawn of the school, with the horse show near the softball field. There will also be a petting zoo, featuring a goat with three week-old kids.
Non-animal exhibits will be in the gym, including spring vegetables, flowers, arts and crafts, shop exhibits and old farming film footage from the Whitman County Historical Society. There will also be a coloring contest put on by the Artisans of the Dahmen Barn.
Hamburgers, sausage dogs and other concessions will be provided by the Catholic Daughters.
The fair will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to the public.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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