Editor's note: Pick up a copy of Thursday's edition of The Chronicle for a full guide to the Southwest Washington Fair. The fair runs Aug. 15-20.
While the fair has long hosted the “Lewis County Rodeo,” last year saw its first-ever rodeo that was sanctioned by the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association.
This year, fair organizers are readying for round two, then round three. On Wednesday, Aug. 16, and Thursday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m. both nights in the Grandstands Arena, cowboys and cowgirls will travel across towns, states and even countries for the Lewis County Rodeo.
The rodeos will be individually-standing competitions with belt buckle prizes so attendees get a full show whether they visit one night or both.
Dances will follow both nights.
The big sponsors for this year’s rodeo are Sorenson Transport, Toledo Tel, Ryerson and Fortescue.
Both days will feature professionals from the area and abroad for bareback riding, tie down and breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, and, of course, bull riding. For the kids, there will be mutton busting both nights.
Special tickets are needed to enter for Grandstands events, including the rodeo, monster truck shows and demolition derby.
Box seats are also available online and through the fair office.
Two days of bucking bulls and broncos isn’t the only crazy show set for the Grandstands this year. Monster trucks are coming back to the Southwest Washington Fair for the first time in either 20 or 21 years, said said Pat Slusher Jr., a fair office employee.
At 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, in the Grandstands Arena, the Monster Truck Nitro Tour will kick up the dust — or mud, depending on the weather. Both the afternoon and evening shows will also feature lawnmower races.
“They do jumps and they roll those things and they crush things,” Slusher said. “It’s big toys for big boys and little boys. And they’re loud. They’re very loud.”
Finally, four days of Grandstands insanity will wrap up with a demolition derby on Sunday, Aug. 20, the final day of the Southwest Washington Fair.
The derby will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Last year, when the fair had scheduled derbies for both Tuesday and Sunday nights, there weren’t enough participants signed up for the second night to allow the event to run, according to fair organizers.
Slusher doesn’t expect that problem for the 2023 fair, because Centralia’s Summerfest demolition derby saw great turnout, he said, and because there will be just one derby this year.
Sunday’s derby will bring back the fair’s “Jump Your Junk” competition and the youth race for kids ages 12 to 15.
Learn more at https://southwestwashingtonfair.org/.
