By LESLIE MANNING
Tri-Rivers Fair Board
The Tri-Rivers Fair includes two major events geared just for kids on Thursday of the Tri-Rivers Fair outside the Tony’s Pizza Event Center.
Each are free to participate in. In the south circle drive of Tony’s Pizza Event Center, the kids pedal tractor pull will begin at 6:30 p.m. Registration for the kids pedal tractor pull begins at 5:45 p.m.
The kids pedal tractor pull involves a pedal tractor, provided by M&C Pedal Power, and each competitor will be given an opportunity to pedal the tractor, while pulling a weighted trailer. As the tractor moves forward, the weight in the trailer lowers, and increases the difficulty of pedaling.
The Kids Pedal Tractor Pull will include competition categories for kids ages 4-12, with trophies awarded in each age bracket to the kids who pedal the farthest. This is a qualifying event for the Kansas State Fair.
Before, after and during the kids pedal tractor pull will be a new event to the Thursday night line-up at the Tri-Rivers Fair, just for kids, but fun for adults, also. The Touch-A-Truck event will involve agriculture equipment, construction equipment and emergency management equipment for all ages to check out from 6-9 p.m. in the southwest parking lot of the Tony’s Pizza Event Center.
Agriculture equipment in the Touch-A-Truck event will include a semi-truck and livestock trailer from Isaacson Truckline, a spray rig from the Gypsum branch of AgriTrails, a tractor from Chris Short Farms, equipment from Lang Diesel Implement and equipment from the LandPride division of Great Plains Manufacturing.
Construction equipment is being on loan from the Saline County Road and Bridge department and will include a dump truck, a road grater, and a front loader.
Emergency management will include a fire truck and a highway patrol vehicle.
An additional free kids event, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is a petting zoo in Barn 1 of the Saline County Expo Center offered by the Ell-Saline FFA