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The eighth annual Van Zandt County Spelling Bee is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in the Todd Berry Building. It is sponsored by the Canton Rotary Club open to fourth, fifth and sixth graders in Van Zandt County. Contestants qualify through their school or homeschool group and pre-entry was completed by March 24. The spelling lists were made available to each contestant. A champion from each age division is not the champion until he or she corrects the misspelling of the other speller and then correctly spells the next word on the list. In other words, the champion must spell two words in a row correctly.

This is the second year for the VZ County Breeding Sheep (Wether Dam) Show and Breeding Goat (Wether Doe. Check-in is from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30. The sheep show will begin at 1 pm followed by the goats. Exhibitors must be apart of a Van Zandt FFA or 4-H program. They will be shown by weight classes, not breeds, and do not have to be validated for the Junior Livestock Show. The showmanship competitors must also be a paid entrant in the show. A full set of the rules can be found online at www.vzfair.org. New this year is a breeding Rabbit Show. It will be Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Registration and check-in is 8:30 to 9 a.m., with the show starting at 9 a.m. It is open to exhibitors that are a part of a Van Zandt County FFA or 4-H program. Each exhibitor may show as many rabbits as desired. Entries are in accordance with the American Rabbit Breeders Association (A.R.B.A) standards. Only A.R.B.A. recognized breeds are eligible to show.

The AgriScience Fair, Container Grown Plants, Floral Cup, Public Speaking, and Robotics competitions all required a submission of entry by March 1. While they are closed to further entries for the 2022 Fair, the projects will be on display or take place during the fair. The AgriScience Fair, Container Crown Plants and Floral cup entries will be displayed in the Freestate building.

Karo Buck Canton FFA Age: 17 Grade: 12What are you showing this year at the VZ Fair? This year I will be showing a market cross in the market show. What have you shown in the past? My junior year I exhibited a Purebred Berkshire Gilt in the market show, placing third in my class making sale.

The Junior Livestock Auction is held each year on Friday of the County Fair, and is scheduled for April 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Todd Berry Building. This is the culmination of the exhibitor’s experience with their perspective animal. There are approximately 100 projects in the premium sale based on placing in their competitions. The full set of rules is available at www.vzfair.org. The sale can get lively and frequently we are surprised by exhibitors kissing their animal, pigs and recently a lot of “chicken” dancers. The 2021 sale chicken exhibitor, Maeleigh Houser, was surprised by a friend in a chicken costume assisting her in selling her chickens.

The Free Family Fun Night is back! Ten local ministries are sponsoring the event on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, at the Zeke Burns Arena. There is a free chili dinner prepared by James Jester of Cedar Top Chuck Wagon Ministry. Food service will begin around 5:30 p.m. along with Dwayne Williams bringing some encouraging Christian music and a speaker to follow. After dinner, the children’s youth rodeo will begin with: Stick horse races, mutton bustin, pee wee barrels, calf scramble, jr. barrels, calf riding, and steer riding There is a $5 per car fee to enter the fairgrounds, or $1 per walk-in.

The Canton Trail Riders Annual Open Rodeo Thursday, March 31, through Saturday, April 2 at the Zeke Burns Arena. Admission is $5 per car for entry to the fairgrounds, or a $1 per walk in, and an additional $5 per person for the rodeo, children under 3 free. Rodeo contestant’s pre-entry should be made at on-line at cantonopenrodeo. com. On-line pre-entry begins on March 21, 2022. The rodeo starts at 8 p.m. nightly. Rodeo events and entry fees are: Mutton Bustin $25; Calf riding $40; Steers $50; Junior break-away $45; Women’s break-away $60; Calf Roping: open, $65; junior $45; Rescue Race $30; Pee-Wee $25; Junior Barrels $40; Open Barrels $50; Bulls $75 and Team Roping $80; Steer saddling, team of three, $60.

Admittance to the grounds: $5 per car or $ 1 walk-in CARNIVAL RIDES 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday, March 30 $20 arm band 6 p.m.