<I>The Eagle/Reilly Cosgrove</I><BR>The 2005 Grant County Fair opens Aug. 2.

JOHN DAY – The 2005 Grant County Fair guide is 79 pages long, but even that is not quite enough to hold all the events, activities and sponsors for this year’s fair.

There will be a free shuttle to take people from extra parking in the vacant lot southeast of the arena to the fairgrounds. The shuttle will operate from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The main gate of the fair has been changed to the middle gate on Third between Canyon and Bridge streets. This will also be the handicap entrance.

The gate by the tennis court will not be open. The RV park gate will only be used by those who have already obtained daily or season passes. Several parking places are reserved, and violators will be towed.

Some of the contests that will take place: egg toss, mutt strut, water balloon toss, fruit and veggie art, and pie baking.

Clark’s Disposal will sponsor a trash to treasure contest, where entrants will create something useful out of trash. The winner will get a $100 prize.

A community horticulture contest will showcase local gardeners, with individual prizes as well as a bench to be put in the winner’s favorite city park.

There will also be a cookie contest, “cookies with a heritage,” to fit in the fair’s overall “Keeping our Heritage Alive in 2005” theme. The winner of the cookie contest will win a cookie jar. Complete details of the cookie contest may be found on Page 35 of the fair guide.

The Blue Mountain Nursing home will have a booth selling “Blue Mountain Nursing Home Sweet Home” candles made by Canyon Creek Candle Company, bottled water and nursing home cookbooks. They will also have a raffle for items that have been donated by local businesses, with a daily drawing for a free gift. All proceeds form the booth will go to help the residents purchase a wide-screen TV for the lobby.

Each day of the fair is being sponsored by a different local business: Wednesday, Len’s Drugs; Thursday, Prairie Wood Co-Gen; Friday, McDonald’s; Saturday, Century 21 Franklin Realty; Sunday, 4-J Ranches.

Premiums will be paid. Open-class exhibitors will be given $1,500 in cash and prizes. First place will get $2 and second place will get $1. First place large animal will get $10, and second place big animal will get $5.

The Cow Kids Contest will start at 10 a.m., instead of 12 p.m. as previously listed.

Oregon Trail Electric Consumers Cooperative is not sponsoring the champion and reserve champion awards for the open class youth.