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Tigers, parrots and food trucks come to Floyd County Fair

The Bengal Tiger Encounter will be one of the featured attractions at the 2018 Floyd County Fair, being held this week. Photo submitted
The Bengal Tiger Encounter will be one of the featured attractions at the 2018 Floyd County Fair, being held this week.
Photo submitted
By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

What do a hypnotist, Bengal tigers and laser tag all have in common?

That’s right, you guessed it — the Floyd County Fair.

Don’t forget the pie baking contest, demolition derby and the Jimmy Buffet tribute band.

Those are a just a smidgen of the things to do and see at the Floyd County Fair this year.

All this week — July 16-22 — residents of Floyd County and surrounding areas will converge on the Floyd County Fairgrounds.

Whether you’re there to show animals, take a spin on the carnival rides or to listen to the roar and smell of the smoke emanating from the East Central Iowa Pullers Association truck and tractor pull, there won’t be many dull moments during fair week.

Floyd County Fair week kicked off on Sunday with the 5K Fun Run. The band “Love Radishes” also rocked out and an FFA Grill Out also raised funds for that organization.  

Amy Staudt, president of the Floyd County Fair Board, talked about the all the exciting exhibits and new shows on tap this week that makes the Floyd County Fair a must-see event.

“Our barns are full,” said Staudt. “Business donors have pulled through and helped us build this fair or it wouldn’t happen.”

There are two new shows that Staudt thinks people are really going to like — the Bengal Tiger Encounter and the Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band.

The encounter is an exotic animal production that features several Bengal tigers. The tigers, along with their trainers, help educate about the loss of their habitat.

There are fewer than 5,000 Bengal tigers in the wild and they are in jeopardy of becoming extinct. This show allows attendees to witness the endangered species perform various routines and there are chances to feed the beautiful creatures as well. The show will be at the fair Wednesday-Saturday with the tigers on display at all hours.

“We try to get one act in a year that’s kind of our “wow” act. That’s what we chose this year,” said Staudt.

Also new this year to the fair are the Parrots of the Caribbean. They’re a Jimmy Buffet tribute band and they’ll be playing the same time as the demolition derby is going on in the grandstand on Saturday.

Tagged as the No. 1 Jimmy Buffet tribute band in the country, this is a “trop-rock” concert that is high energy. Concert-goers are encouraged to wear leis, board shorts, shades and even grass skirts to hear lead singer Dave Albrecht — who bears an uncanny resemblance to the actual Jimmy Buffet — play all the classic Buffet hits.

“So if you’re not a power person, maybe you take in the concert,” said Staudt.

Other grandstand events are the Figure 8 Races and the East Central Iowa Pullers Association.

Interesting entertainment acts like the Magic and Illusions of Eric Michaels Show and hypnotist Terry Stokes will also be at the fair on Friday and Saturday.

Michaels, from Janesville, offers up a mysterious and exciting act that features puzzling magic, audience participation, comedy and live animals. It’s an experience that magic fans won’t want to miss.

Stokes performs for more than a million people a year across the United States. He was a Las Vegas headliner for more than 15 years and has written four books. He has been transfixing audiences for well over 40 years.  

Another new exhibit is the Little Hands on the Farm. This is an interactive exhibit that is part of the Miller’s Petting Zoo where miniature animals can be fed and admired.

“This is a vacation in your backyard,” said Staudt about this year’s fair offerings.

Of course there will be plenty of food at the fair and there will be several food trucks in attendance, something that hasn’t been offered prior to this year. The trucks will be serving up a wide variety of fair fare.

“Our 4H food stand and our meat board does a fabulous job,” said Staudt.

Staudt said the livestock numbers at the Floyd County Fair are among the highest out of all 99 counties in the state.

“Every year FFA and 4H numbers are increasing, so that helps bring in more families and bring in more traffic flow to us,” she said.

The livestock shows will take place throughout the week. There is also a dog and pet show on Tuesday.

The midway has a slew of different and unique endeavors to undertake, like eurobungy, a carousel bounce house, inflatable obstacle course, rock climb wall and outdoor movie and laser tag.

The Little Miss Floyd and Mr. Floyd Contest highlights Tuesday’s slate of events.

This year’s Floyd County Fair Queen is Bailee Bortz.

There is no charge for parking and it’s a free gate admission.

“There’s no charge, other than grandstand events,” said Staudt.

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