New at the 2009 Mercer County Fair!!
4x4 Truck Tug of War
New at the 2009 Mercer County Fair is a 4x4 Truck Tug of War. The event, slated for Wednesday July 15 at 6:30 p.m., will feature three classes of trucks competing -- carburated, fuel-injected and diesel. Each class winner will receive $80 and a chance to compete in the "King of the Pull" event for an additional $100 in prize money. Entry in the event is open to residents of Mercer, Knox, Henderson, Warren, Henry and Rock Island counties. Further information and rules for this event can be found in the Mercer County Fair premium book.
New Tractor and Truck Pull Sanctioning Organization
We have a new sanctioning body for a long-time event. The Illini State Pullers are sanctioning our truck and tractor pull on Friday, July 17 at 6:30 p.m. The truck classes that will pull include the 7500-lb. altered diesel stock 4x4s, 6500-lb. altered stock 4x4s and the 6200-lb. super stock 4x4s. The tractor classes will feature the 5000-lb. and 700-lb. naturally aspirated models. The show promises to be one of the best tractor and truck pulls we have seen in several year in Mercer County, both in quantity and quality of competitors.
AND....don't forget there are three local classes of 4x4 stock trucks will also pull that night-- 1986 & older, 1987 & newer and diesel. For rules and information on any of these classes check the Mercer County Fair premium book.
Bike Night at the 2009 Mercer County Fair
On Saturday, July 18, anyone who arrives on the Fairgrounds on a motorcycle after noon will be admitted for half-price of an adult admission. That's $3.00 for admission! The evening's entertainment in the Grandstand is the Demolition Derby that starts at 6:30 p.m. and features some of craziest drivers, the best paint jobs and amazing destruction of perfectly good cars you can imagine.
We will also be sponsoring a poker run for bikers on Saturday. Watch this web site for more details.
4-H Dog Obedience Exhibition
On Wednesday, July 15, from 5:45 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. in front of the Grandstand the 4-Hers who participate in dog obedience projects will demonstrate the skills their pets have learned to the general public.
Harness Racing to Open 2009 Fair
Monday, July 13, the 2009 Mercer County Fair opens with a free gate and one day chockful of harness racing that begins at 1 p.m. The card will include 2-year-old trotters and pacers, as well as 3-year-old trotters and pacers. While there will be no carnival or other exhibits open on this day, you can still come watch some remarkable trotters and pacers competing for large winner's purses on one of the fastest tracks in western Illinois for free!!!
Fair Premium Book Now Available
The 2009 Mercer County Fair premium book and the entry form are now available online. This book provides a complete listing of all competitive events at the 2009 Mercer County Fair. It can be read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can either scroll through the entire book as if you were paging through the printed version or you can use the bookmarks tab in Acrobat Reader to jump to the department of interest. Printed versions will be mailed to last year's exhibitors in mid-to-late May. Copies may also be picked up in local county businesses in that same late May timeframe.
All departments A through P1 use our standard entry form, which is also a pdf file. The form must be printed out, completed and mailed into the Mercer County Fair office by the entry deadline. All entries, except Departments J (Gardening) and L (Floriculture), must be postmarked by June 30, 2009. Entries in Departments J & L can be made until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14.You may use this form to enter:
| Art | Dog Obedience | Junior Department |
| Antiques | Floriculture | Livestock |
| Canned Fruits & Vegetables | Gardening | Photography |
| Culinary | Hobbies | Textiles |
Entries in Little Miss, Junior Miss and Queen Contest
Entries may now be made in the Mercer County Fair Queen Pageant. There are three age divisions of the Mercer County Fair Pageant: Little Miss, Junior Miss and Queen. For more information on the ages and other rules for the event consult the premium book pages about the competition. For entry forms, calendars and additional contest rules, please check the queen pageant web page.
