COMPETING FOR THE TITLE of Miss Freestone County next week are: l-r, Brittany Wilkie, Micah Sandlin, Shelby McGwirt, Stella Richardson, Brittany Watson, Chelsea Lopez, Allyse Sleziak and Gabby Jackson. The 86th edition of the Freestone County Fair opens Monday in Fairfield for its weeklong run at W.L. Moody Reunion Grounds.

On tap are a parade, carnival, livestock judging, live musical entertainment, home economics show, rodeos, beauty pageant and junior livestock sale.

Fair week kicks off at 7 p.m. Monday with a parade through downtown Fairfield featuring floats, antique vehicles, marching bands, Miss Freestone County and Miss Teen Freestone County contestants, bicycles, motorcycles and horses.

Parade theme is “Heroes of Today and Tomorrow.”

Up for grabs as top prize is the “Spirit of Freestone County Award,” a traveling trophy won the past two years by Incommons Bank. The trophy is awarded to the float that best represents the parade theme.

TAKING THE STAGE IN the Miss Teen Freestone County pageant Tuesday evening are: front l-r, Maecy Mannen, Tiffany Thomas, Victoria Simpson, Kallista Whiteside, Taylor Gray, Jessica Sloat and Desiree Hodges; middle l-r, Sarah Sloat, Carlee Crowell, Callie Cherry, Whitney Rutherford, Kamry Whitehead, Rheygen Kittrell and Fruncheska Daniels; back l-r, Chelsea Farrell, Taylor Hunt, Madison Fuller, Anna Marie Oglesbee, Amanda Drake and Jordan Gandy. Prizes of $50 each also will be given to entries denoting the best theme interpretations, must creative, most entertaining and most beautiful.

Entries must be lined up in assigned spaces by 6 p.m.

Parade entry forms are available at The Fairfield Recorder and Texas 99 Radio station and must be turned in at the radio station in Fairfield.

Also to be judged are the “Best Dressed Cowboy” and “Best Dressed Cowgirl,” a contest open to children ages eight and under.

The best dressed contests are to be judged at 6 p.m. in the parking lot of First United Methodist Church. Entrants must be able to sit a horse by themselves.

The parade runs south down Mount Street then east on Commerce Street.

A carnival opens at 6 p.m. Monday at the reunion grounds and will be open through Saturday.

Immediately after the parade, a kickoff dance featuring “Diamondback” is set to run until midnight at the fairgrounds and Go- Texan men’s horseshoe pitching will be held.

Musical entertainment Tuesday is provided by the “Grand Band from Eagle Land,” and on Wednesday features the River of Life Church youth gospel choir. Filling out the week are the Barnstompers square dance club, “Krazd Country” and “Billy Ray and Heart of Night.”

Tuesday starts with home economics exhibits judging at 9:30 a.m. in the Fairfield Community Building, afterwhich exhibits will be on display through Saturday afternoon.

Livestock judging for the breeding sheep and breeding goats shows is set for Tuesday afternoon, and breeding beef cattle are to be judged Wednesday afternoon.

Stickhorse barrel racing and mutton busting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the reunion grounds rodeo arena and the youth rodeo is at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A new Miss Freestone County and Miss Teen Freestone County will be picked in a pageant that starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Fairfield high school auditorium.

Special guest and emcee for the pageant is Miss Texas 2009 Kristen Blair.

The Miss Freestone competition features eight contestants and the Miss Teen Freestone County has 20 hopefuls entered.

Judging of market animals raised by county FFA and 4-H members, beef, lambs, goats, swine, rabbits and poultry, will be held Thursday and Friday at the Ike Carden Pavilion. Top market animals go on the auction block Saturday morning in the junior livestock show.

The fair features 426 animals to be judged, 271 in market classes and 155 in breeding classes.

Market animals will be sold at the junior livestock auction starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Ike Carden Pavilion.

Last year, bids and added money totaled about $350,000 with a top price of $10,000 paid for the grand champion steer exhibited by Fairfield FFA member Riley Jo Davidson.

The fair winds down at midnight Saturday, June 19.