Oklahoma State Fair Now Open

The Edmond Sun
Mark Schlachtenhaufen

Each year Edmond residents flock to the Oklahoma State Fair, which offers a lot more than fantastic food and fun rides. This year’s fair began Wednesday and runs through Sept. 27.

Strong-armed men and women will compete in the fair’s second annual Armwrestling Classic. Competitors who win a match in their weight class will earn a national ranking and be posted on Armwrestling USA’s Web site.

There will be competition in seven divisions — five for men, including featherweight (under 144 pounds) and heavyweight (220 pounds and above)‚ and two for women — featherweight (less than 144 pounds) and open (145 pounds and above). Winners will be eligible to participate in the national finals at the 2009 Arizona State Fair in October.

Registration will be from 1-3:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Bandshell Stage, followed by two preliminary rounds. The finals will be at 6 p.m. that same day.

Other events include the fifth annual Deaf Awareness Day on Sept. 24. At designated times throughout the day, many fair attractions and entertainment shows will be interpreted. The shows will be highlighted in red in the fair visitors guide.

Deaf Awareness Day is sponsored by the Central Oklahoma Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The State Fair also will feature three premier attractions Disney On Ice’s s Worlds of Fantasy, the Xtreme Bull Riding Tour and the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals.

Tickets for the 2009 Great State of Fair of Oklahoma are available at all tickets.com outlets, including the State Fair Arena box office, participating Buy For Less stores in Oklahoma City, at www.tickets.com or by calling 1-800-511-1552. A convenience charge may apply. Visit www.okstatefair.com for complete 2009 fair details.