By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

The bands don’t march and the floats won’t be ready until Tuesday evening, but there is still a lot of activity humming in connection with the annual Stoddard County Fair Monday.

There’s an entire world that most who attend the fair never see – the world of livestock exhibition. Slogging through mud and ditches still filled from water from Sunday’s rains, young women and men from throughout the county began arriving Monday morning to setup the pens, get the equipment and supplies in place, and finally lead their livestock into the exhibition barns on the Stoddard County Fairgrounds.

The carnival rides aren’t set up, the local groups aren’t serving up their specialties in the food booths, but there’s plenty of action at the Fairgrounds.

Livestock entries will be accepted throughout the day Monday.

Judging for the livestock includes:

• Sheep and Goats Judging – Wednesday at 6 p.m.
• Cattle, Hogs and Equine – Thursday at p.n. in Arena A
• Buyers Breakfast at 8 a.m. on Saturday
• 4H and FFA Livestock Auction – 9 a.m. in the livestock barns

Photo Above: Mario Reed of Essex leads his sheep and goats into the exhibition area at the Stoddard County Fairgrounds on Monday morning. Mario is one of many county young people showing their livestock this week at the annual fair (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)

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