Reporter Paul Valencia says there are so many things at the Clark County Fair that can bring one back to a more innocent time or even jump ahead to a future full of whatever one can imagine

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The Clark County Fair can be a time machine.

It just takes some imagination and an open mind.

Last year, the fair took me back to the 1970s, back to the day I first met the majestic Budweiser Clydesdales.

A couple of years ago at the fair, I roamed with dinosaurs.

This year, I’m heading back to the 1990s.

But first, I plan on taking a look into the future.

Summer’s Best Party begins its 10-day run on Friday, Aug. 7.

Concerts will rule the grandstand events the first three nights, followed by bull riding and rodeo, and then the transition to motor sports. (The fair has a new partner with its Monster Trucks this year.) There is something huge each night at the grandstands.

Of course, there is the traditional fair fare — things you would find at any fair in the country, but continue to be special.

You can hear screams from the carnival rides throughout the fairgrounds.

Food is everywhere. Barbecue. Fried. Elephant Ears. You imagine it, it is probably there, somewhere.

Plus all the vendors.

Remember my time travel theory? Turns out, you can travel to mythical times, too. Last year, I found a magical place where one could take home a dragon egg … for a small fee, of course.

Inside the exhibition halls are photographs, paintings, crafts, and more — all created by artists from Clark County.

Oh, and the animals. All the animals.

Cows. Goats. Chickens. Sheep.

A daily ticket for admission to the Clark County Fair continues to be $11.50 for an adult, $9.50 for senior citizens, and $8.50 for children ages 7 through 12. There are also bundles, and special discounts for families. For ticket information, go to: https://tickets.clarkcofair.com/p/tickets

And yes, there are extra costs associated with food and carnival rides and so much more at the fair. But for general admission, you can go to Mars, or pet a goat, or see Curly the Camel. Dare I say that the cost for a ticket just might be the best entertainment value in the county every year.

I get it. I sound like a commercial for the fair.

No, I am not a paid endorser for the Clark County Fair. I am, however, a huge fan of the fair and what it provides to the county.

In my years at Clark County Today, I have become the fair reporter. It has become more than just going to the fair for a couple of human interest stories, I have met the administrators who put the fair on for all of us. Last year, I was invited to their post-fair meeting. They discuss what went wrong, what went right, and how to improve. And every year, changes are made in an effort to make it better.

You and I see that the Clark County Fair is 10 days of chaotic fun, always starting on the first Friday of August.

Most of us do not see that it takes a year to put on this 10-day festival.

Is there down time for those who work at the fair? Of course. But trust me, once the work is done for one fair, the work starts for the next fair.

(It was in this meeting last year, for example, when changes to the motorsports schedule were being discussed. Those changes have been made, in an effort to bring a better product to the grandstands. I will have more on that change in a story next week about the Monster Trucks.)

I will always appreciate that work because the fair brings so many people together.

This year, our coverage at Clark County Today will include daily planners, as well as some human interest profiles. The daily planners will start Thursday, the day before opening day, so readers can get a glimpse of what to expect.

My plan is to head out on Opening Day on Friday in order to jump to the future. Someday, humans should be able to visit the red planet. At the fair this year, we can take a look at what that will be like as part of the Mars Encounters exhibition. This goes along with the fair’s mission this year: Blast Off to Fun.

On Saturday, the plan is to journey back to the fair to go back 30 years. I want to visit with fair fans my age who are excited to experience the I Love the 90s concert.

And next week, we will post a story on the new Monster Trucks company that is sure to bring excitement to the grandstands arena.

By the way, Monster Trucks became a thing in the 1970s.

There I go again, going back in time, all the way to present day Clark County for Summer’s Best Party.