Tri-Rivers Fair offers new reasons to come out to the county fair in 2022.

The Tri-Rivers Fair schedule may look different this year starting Saturday, July 30 and running
Tuesday, Aug. 2 through Saturday, Aug. 6, after the 2021 decision to demolish the Tri-Rivers
Stadium to make space for the construction of new tennis courts.

However, the Saline County Fair Association created new opportunities using the spaces available at the Saline County Expo Center, and, as in the past, 4-H’ers living in Saline County working with K-State Research
and Extension’s Central Kansas Extension District will participate in a complete line-up of fair
competition and events.

The Tri-Rivers Fair Demolition Derby will launch the 2022 event, with pits open at 3 p.m., gates
open at 6 p.m. and the show beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 30 at the Salina Speedway,
2841 S. Burma Road. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12. The
demolition derby will include four classes: limited weld, 80’s and newer bone stock full size,
bone stock compact and mini van.

The derby is coordinated by the Championship Demolition Derby Association (CDDA), with
head promoter Chad Markley at the held of the association. Markley has built, drove and won
at all levels of demolition derby shows for over 25 years across Kansas, the Midwest and
nation-wide, earning respect from fair boards, promoters, fabricators and other demolition
derby drivers. The CDDA is the group that will coordinate the demolition derby during the 2022
Kansas State Fair, and has a schedule of events across Central Kansas, the state and the
Midwest. More information and registration for the Tri-Rivers Fair Demolition Derby can be
found at www.cddademo.com.

Open Class exhibitors in home economics and horticulture can bring items for judging starting
at the beginning of the fair week. Exhibitors wishing to enter judging competitions in floriculture
and horticulture divisions will be entered on Tuesday, Aug. 6 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. in
Kenwood Hall at the Saline County Expo Center. All other open class exhibits can be registered
between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.

The Tri-Rivers Fair parade will launch the fair events at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2 with the theme
Fancy Like … Fair Life! Ken Wasserman will serve as the grand marshal for the 2022 Tri-Rivers
Fair Parade, which runs along Santa Fe Avenue, from Elm Street to Prescott. Early registration
for being in the fair parade was due Friday, June 15, however, parade entries will be accepted
at the fire station on Elm Street the evening of the parade, with check-in starting at 5:30 p.m.
WEEE Entertainment will open the Tri-Rivers Fair carnival at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3,
opening each day at 6 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 7. Commercial exhibits will run from
Wednesday, Aug. 3 through Saturday, Aug. 6 in the Great Plains Manufacturing Convention Hall
of the Tony’s Pizza Event Center, with over 20 businesses and organizations setting up an
informational booth daily.

The Tri-Rivers Fair royalty crowning will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 in the Great
Plains Manufacturing Convention Hall. King and queen candidates are nominated by each 4-H
club in Saline County. Each will be recognized at the crowning, and first, second and third
place candidates will be announced. The 2023 Tri-Rivers Fair King and Queen, along with
second and third place candidates, will help assist the distribution of awards during the 4-H
and open class livestock competitions throughout the Tri-Rivers Fair.
The Community Showcase will take place from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 in the Great Plains
Manufacturing Convention Hall showcasing talent from the local area.

Thursday, Aug. 4 will include evening activity geared just for kids. The Kids Pedal Tractor Pull,
coordinated by M&C Pedal Power, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with registration at 5:45 p.m. outside
of the Tony’s Pizza Event Center. The Kids Pedal Tractor Pull will include competition
categories for kids ages 4-12, with trophies awarded. This is a qualifying event for the Kansas
State Fair.

Kids can also get their face painted by face painters setting up shop outside of the Tony’s Pizza
Event Center, and a Touch-A-Truck event will take place from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 in the
parking lot south of Tony’s Pizza Event Center for kids to explore. The Touch-A-Truck event
hopes to include a school bus, semi-truck and trailer from Isaacson Truckline, tractor from
LandPride, equipment from LDI and other heavy equipment and emergency response
equipment.

The Tri-Rivers Fair, in cooperation with Salina Cornhole, will host a corn hole tournament,
starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 in the horse practice arena at the heart of the Saline County
Expo Center. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. which includes a $40 registration fee. The
tournament will be a double elimination tournament with prize money distributed to first,
second and third place winners.

The final day of the Tri-Rivers Fair will wrap up with a free concert celebrating the 10 year
anniversary of the Peterson Farm Bros release of I’m Farming and I Grow It at 5 p.m. Saturday,
Aug. 6 in the Great Plains Manufacturing Convention Center. The concert will headline a full
schedule of educational opportunities spanning the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during a new
event called a Inspiration and Innovation Showcase.

The showcase will feature Saline County
businesses and organizations presenting forward thinking projects. The line-up of educational
presentations includes Cory McDaniel and Brent Sadler with WCCiT with information about
cybersecurity; Emanuel Ashiedu from Salina Code Academy sharing classes available to teach
computer coding; The Land Institute; Rolling Hills Zoo; the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce;
Phillip Smith-Haynes, Saline County Administrator presenting about the new Saline County
App and ARPA funds distribution and Jim Kowach with the City of Salina explaining the city’s
goal to reduce solid waste. A legislative update featuring local representation and senators in
the Kansas legislature will present at 12 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.

With the future on stage inside Tony’s Pizza Event Center, agriculture technology of the past
will be displayed outside in the south parking lot of the event center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 6. The Kansas Tractor Club will host an antique tractor show and tractor games,
with tractors arriving as early as 9 a.m.

The Tri-Rivers Fair concludes with the Draft Horse Pull at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 in Ag Hall at
the Saline County Expo Center. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12. Doors
open at 6 p.m.

More information and updates regarding the Tri-Rivers Fair can be found at tririversfair.org.