By DEB GRUVER

Staff writer

Organizers hope to see 5,000 to 8,000 people come out to Hillsboro for the 93rd Annual Marion County Fair in July.

It takes all year to prepare for the fair, manager Michelle Hajek said.

“It’s a work in progress,” Hajek said. “As soon as this one’s over, we’ll get started on next year’s.”

4-H shows will get underway at 5 p.m. July 16. The fair will run through July 22.

Large public events will start July 19.

A parade will begin at 6 p.m. July 19 at 3rd and Main Sts. Live music will start at 6:30 p.m. A live 4-H presentation will start at 7 p.m. A watermelon feed sponsored by Emprise Bank also will start at 7 p.m., as will the MC Power Pedal Pull, open to children ages 4 to 12. Mutton Bustin’ for children ages 6 and under will start at 8 p.m., followed by a calf scramble for children ages 10 and under.

A cornhole tournament will start at 7 p.m. July 20, followed by Mutton Bustin’ and a calf scramble.

A barbecue competition is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. July 21, followed by a Friends of 4-H livestock auction at 6:30 p.m. and lawnmower and dirt bike races at 7 p.m.

A demolition derby will end the fair at 7 p.m. July 22.

Food trucks will operate from 5 to 10 p.m. July 19 through 22. 4-H will offer concessions from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 20, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21. The Lions Club will offer concessions during nighttime events.

Buttons for nighttime events are $20 and will be available at Carlsons’ Grocery in Marion and Ampride in Hillsboro. Daytime events are free.

This will be Hajek’s second year as fair manager. Organizing the fair is a lot of work, she said, but the fair is something she looks forward to every year.

“Over the course of the four days, I suspect we’ll see anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 people,” she said.

On a personal level, she’s looking forward to seeing her daughter show goats.

“I enjoy the 4-H part of it,” she said. “We’re trying really hard to bring the fair back to life and get more people involved and just more things to do.”