The Lyon County Fair has come to a close and the Flint Hills Beef Fest is right on its heels.
This year marks the 23rd annual Flint Hills Beef Fest, which runs Friday through Sunday. The Beef Fest was “founded as an annual celebration of the grass cattle industry offering cattlemen the opportunity to enter stockers in a summer grazing competition as well as feedlot and carcass shows,” according to the Beef Fest’s Web site.
This year’s Beef Fest event has activities for everyone including a beef producers seminar, a barbecue cook-off, kids activities and even a night filled with comedy.
Most activities are at the Lyon County Fairgrounds unless otherwise noted.
Friday
• 6 to 7 a.m. — WIBW live radio broadcast
• 7:30 a.m. — Free breakfast
• 9 a.m. — Begin Blues & Barbecue Cook-off registration
• 6 p.m. — Ranch feed
• 7 p.m. — Ranch rodeo
• 8 p.m. — Blues & Barbecue Band “Runskinquartet” Saturday
• 9 a.m. — Judging of cattle (at Emporia Livestock Sales)
• 10 a.m. — Ranch horse competition
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Pony wagon rides and National Guard climbing wall
• 10 a.m. — Registration kids tractor pull
• 11 a.m. — Kids tractor pull
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Free hamburgers and Cokes (while supplies last)
• 1 p .m. — Cow chip toss and catch
• 2:30 p.m. — Barbecue awards
• 5:30 p.m. — Awards banquet
• 6:30 p.m. — Steak dinner
• 7:30 p.m. — Hypnotist Erick Kand
• 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. — Dance to “Old Skool”
Sunday
F 8:30 a.m. — Golf tournament (Emporia Municipal Golf Course)
F 10 a.m. — Team roping (Rain location will be Hatcher Arena)
Tickets for Friday evening cost $10 for adults and $5 for children. Saturday evening tickets cost $30 and can be purchased in advance only. Tickets can be purchased at Emporia Veterinary Hospital, 710 Anderson; Jim’s Cowboy Shop, 312 Commercial St.; and Frontier Farm Credit, 1221 E. 12th Ave.