John Ezell is the winner of the 2007 Missouri State Idol contest. John, a native of Sedalia, wooed audience and judges alike with his contemporary sound and stage savvy. He will perform on the Pepsi Grandstand Stage opening night of next year's fair on August 7, 2008.
It's down to the final contestants for the 2007 Missouri State Idol Contest and we are just a few performances away from knowing who will claim the Idol title...
Alexa and Vince are a couple of the finalists who had the crowd excited.
Local artists are on display at the Fine Arts Building. Browse through the galleries of photography, ceramics, new media, oil paintings and more! Bid on your favorites. Upstairs fairgoers will find artwork from the Missouri 50 Competition, featuring the best artists in the state. If you time your visit right, you'll even catch Gary Johnson demonstrate his segmented wood turning technique for his unique woodturned creations.
Don't miss the Dahlia Show at the Florticulture Building. The blue-ribbon winners are striking enough to inspire one to paint!
Check out official military equipment, helicopters, jeeps and more at the Missouri Army National Guard exhibit. If you're feeling really brave you can scale the rock climbing wall. Also, try out your basketball and football skills at the Air Guard tent.
Can't find the Ag Building? Trying to spot the Toyota exhibit? Hop on a ferris wheel at Midway and you'll be able to get the lay of the land... and not to mention a great view!
It looks so easy... Watching people get flung off the rope in their attempt to reach the big, plush prizes always amuses me. I can't help thinking that I could do it. Can you do it?
Ever wonder what it would have been like growing up in the olden days, where people got around with real horse power... you know... horse 'n buggy style? I do. I guess this is how they changed a hub cap... if that's what they even called it back then.
Stop by the MO-Ag Theatre to get all kinds of literature and info on various colleges and degree programs offered through the University of Missouri. There are representatives from the Veterinary School, The College of Agriculture, Foods and Natural Resources and more...
The little ones even have their own kid's zone. Fairgoers can also stop in to grab a special treat... Tiger Tracks ice cream!
As a young kid I always loved watching the taffy machine bend and fold the bright, colorful taffy flavors, making the candy soft and chewy. Take a break from the high temps and step inside the air-conditioned Commercial building. That's where you'll find an assortment of taffy to choose from along with all kinds of other products and even a cooking demonstration.
Rex Getz is full of quirky little magic tricks that will leave you baffled. Catch his magic show throughout the day in the Farm Bureau Building.
The American Idol finalists took the stage at the Pepsi Grandstand and fans couldn't be more excited. I can't bring you their hours-long performance, but I can offer a little one-on-one conversation with a few of the finalists.
Finalist Chris Sligh:
Finalist Phil Stacey:
Finalist Melinda Doolittle:
Finalist Sanjaya Malakar:
American Idol Jordin Sparks:
Watch an enactment of fueling up with ethanol at a 1933 filling station live through streaming video. Click here to watch.
Take advantage of the special "2 for the Show Deal" on Sunday, the final Day of the 2007 Missouri State Fair. Admission is half price and games, food and rides are 2 for the price of one!
Win a Vizio LCD HDTV at the Kansas City Star tent. You can enter to win just west of the Pepsi Grandstand.
The "Roadkill Redeemer" is proud of the thick smoke ring on his beef brisket. His friends crooned assent assuring him he'll be the champ. Smoke whisps filled with the savory and tantalizing smells of chicken, pork and beef have been curling up from the long row of grills and smokers since yesterday morning. This beef brisket from Roadkill Redeemers is being judged as we speak. The group from Waverly, MO was the 2003 Grand Champion of the Missouri State Fair Backyard Bar-B-Q contest. I guess their motto has proved to be a good rule of thumb to follow: "If it tastes too strong... it's been dead too long!"
Ice cream is the perfect treat when the heat has you craving something cold and sweet. The Gerken Dairy Center can remedy any ice cream craving. Fairgoers hungry for a bit more can also order a sub sandwich. The yummy eats are located north of the Coliseum. Don't forget to check out the butter sculpture!
Show your Missouri State Fair pride with a an official t-shirt, hat and more!
A couple of Charolais moseying on by... fairgoers can check out all kinds of different breeds in the Livestock Barns located north of Donnelly Arena.
Become a cartoon at the caricature tent! It's the perfect fair souvenir...
The tent is located just east of the Budweiser stage.
Discover the memory foam beds in the Boulevard Shops. They say you can lay on your keys without even feeling them and you can leave a glass on the bed without it spilling. Don't believe it? Try it out for yourself. The shops are located north of the Grandstand.
As Chad Butler puts it, "We like meeting people." As opposed to what, I don't know. But we were just as excited to meet Chad and the rest of the Switchfoot gang as they were to meet us.
Cartel was just as friendly of a bunch and chatted easily with fairgoers backstage.
When Switchfoot took to the stage, it was time to rock out to their Oh! Gravity show!
Boulevard Shops located just north of the Grandstand have an assortment of merchandise and trinkets. Pick out fine woven purses, bracelets and rugs or a cut coin necklace.
The Hallmark "Use the Music" Summer Tour hits the Missouri State Fair and introduces more than 100 new Hallmark Cards with Sound. The interactive exhibit also offers free iTunes downloads, the opportunity to rock out with Guitar Hero and the opportunity to take pictures for an Entertainment Weekly magazine cover. Fairgoers can also sign up for the "Summer Sing-Off" challenge and compete in the karaoke contest. The first 15 people to sign up at beginning at 11:00 a.m. Saturday will be able to belt out their favorite songs and compete for a new iPod, iPod nano and a $100 iTunes gift card. The finalist will also be featured online at www.hallmark.com on Sept. 11. The public will be able to vote on the finalists’ videos until September 18th. The video with the most votes gets $5,000.
Laura will be covering everything about the state fair, from the start of summer through the final day of the fair.
