Rain didn't dampened the spirits of brave  young folks who wanted to take advantage of Bracelet Night at the 85th Annual Stoddard County Fair on Thursday. Those who braved the weather had a good time at the Fairgrounds.

Thursday evening was Bracelet Night at the fair – a night to buy a bracelet for $18 and ride the amusement rides to your heart’s content. But the rain kept some folks at home, and others sought cover in the exhibit halls and barns. But the rain didn’t deter everyone.

“I wish I had a towel,” said enthusiastic Reagan Miller at one point in the evening.  She explained that the seats in the rides were wet. But a little rain didn’t stop her and her friends from riding the rides and having fun. “It’s getting a little damp out there!”

Over in the livestock barn, the young people in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4H were showing their hogs, cattle and equine. A larger than usual crowd was on hand for the show – since the barn was one of dry spots at the Fairgrounds.

But “dry” didn’t mean a thing to John Stephens. The T.S. Hill Middle School English teacher and Boy Scout leader was scheduled to tempt fate at the Boy Scouts dunking booth. And the rain meant nothing to the fearless Stephens.

“They announced at school that I was going to be in the dunking booth and I could hear the cheers throughout the building,” he said while he was still warm and dry.  Stephens bravely climbed onto the stand in the booth, and proceeded to tempt fate and taunt the young people.

“Who’s that with throwing? Oh, it YOU! I’m safe!!” he would say to the youngsters. He got wet a few times during the evening, but had more fun taunting and having fun with the youngsters.

Inside the exhibition hall the Stoddard County Democrats were on the right and the County Republicans on the left – a unique county fair twist on politics. And Anna Ellinghouse was having fun encouraging friends to visit the Missouri Southern Healthcare booth and sign up for the drawing for an iPad.

Food booths down the Midway kept busy trying to stay dry and serving all that good “fair food” – including funnel cakes, fried Oreos and Twinkies, potato mounds and fried pickles.

Friday Night

Friday night at the fair has a full lineup of activities including:

• Randy Harrington & Southern Tradition Band from Hayti at 7 p.m. on the Midway stage
• FFA Tractor Rodeo at 7 p.m. in Arena A
• Karaoke at 7 p.m. in Arena B

  Photo Above:  Morgan Christian, 11, of Bloomfield, grooms his calf Tundra prior to judging at the 85th annual Stoddard County Fair on Thursday night. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)