The Golden Triangle Fair is currently underway at the Mississippi
Horse Park and is bigger and better than ever before. The fair started Thursday and will continue through Sunday.
The Golden Triangle Fair, which has been held at the Horse Park for five years, includes food, rides and a Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association rodeo. Bricklee Miller, manager of the Horse Park, said this is the first time the fair has had a PRCA rodeo.
“After last year we wanted to grow the fair, so we incorporated the rodeo,” Miller said. “This is a professional rodeo. That means that these are the same cowboys that compete in places like Las Vegas.”
The rodeo starts at 7:30 tonight and Saturday and will be held inside at the Horse Park. General admission is $12 for adults and only $10 for those with a student or military ID. Children 10 and under get in free with the purchase of one adult ticket.
The rodeo isn’t the only thing happening at the park, though. Len McRae with Tip Top Amusement in Meridian is coordinating the games, rides and food for the event.
“We have a lot of big rides like the Ali Baba and the Starship 2000 as well as more conventional rides like the Tilt-a-Whirl. We also have kiddy rides like the Dizzy Dragon and the Titanic,” McRae said.
Miller said one good thing about the event is that the midway, or the strip containing all the rides, games and food, will be right outside the building in which the rodeo will be held.
“The rodeo will probably be over by about 9 each night so people can walk right out the door and start doing all the other things. It’s not a far walk from one thing to another,” Miller said.
Another new and exciting attraction to the fair is a performance during the rodeo by a specialty act called the One Arm Bandit. The act, which involves a man driving two longhorn steers into a trailer by himself, is the PRCA Act of the Year.
Also, over $10,000 will be given away in cash and prizes during the rodeo.
The fair will be open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. today, from noon to midnight on Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Gate admission is $3 today and Saturday and no gate admission will be charged on Sunday. Those wishing to enjoy the fair rides all night may purchase an unlimited armband for $15 and all children 5 and under get in free.
“It’s a lot of entertainment for a little bit of money,” Miller said.
Activities will continue if it gets cloudy or even if it starts raining, Miller said. Because the rodeo will be held inside, it will take place regardless of weather conditions.
“This is what we call a spectator event. We do this so people don’t have to drive so far to go to things like this,” Miller said. “It’s definitely a community event and we hope that everybody brings their family out.”
To get to the fair, drive about 3.5 miles down South Montgomery Street (off Miss. Highway 12) and follow the signs to the Mississippi Horse Park.