Cleveland County fair boasts amazing entertainment
Cleveland County fair boasts amazing entertainment

By Tami Althoff

Published: September 2, 2008

NORMAN — This year's entertainment lineup may be reason alone to attend the Cleveland County Free Fair. The fair is Sept. 4-6 at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E Robinson St.

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It features headliners All Funk Radio Show on Friday and the Mike McClure Band on Saturday.

The music will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday when the fair hosts its eighth annual Gospel Night, featuring music by local church groups. Performing this year will be ensembles and choirs from Lexington's First Baptist Church, as well as the Pickard family.

Fair organizers said the gospel show has become one of the most popular events at the fair.

"Each year it gets better and better,” Sharon Harrell, fair board communications specialist, said. "This year, it's going to include traditional and bluegrass gospel.”

Harrell said some new acts to the fair this year will be performances by trick roper Marty Tipton, also known as The Oklahoma Kid. Tipton, of Shawnee, has been roping in one form or another for 31 years. He will perform at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Tipton claims more than 100 years of family history prepared him for his career in entertainment, which also includes motivational speaking. Tipton's father, grandfather and great-grandfather worked with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show, and Tipton grew up in Ponca City, home of the historic 101 Ranch. He's also related to Will Rogers by marriage on his grandmother's side.

"I love people and I love Oklahoma,” Tipton said. "I try to present a great image of our fine state. I like to see things happen in the world that won't happen by us sitting around.”

Headlining at 8:30 p.m. Friday will be the All Funk Radio Show. The band includes female vocalists as well as a male lead vocalist. The musicians collectively have 125 years of entertainment experience and bring together sounds of old school, hip-hop, jazz, Motown, dance, funk and everything in between.

"They create sounds that keep everyone on the dance floor,” Harrell said.

Headlining at 8 p.m. Saturday will be the Mike McClure Band. McClure began his career as a founding member of the Great Divide and served as the band's frontman for more than 10 years. In 2002, he released a solo CD, "Twelve Pieces.” The next year he resigned from the Great Divide and started his own band.

McClure tours regularly and has worked with local and regional acts such as Travis Linville and the Burtschi Brothers, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney Larue and Jason Boland and the Stragglers.

The entertainment lineup also will include an open mike event featuring student performers from the Academy of Music Norman, a youth talent show, the Norman Silver Spurs Square Dancers and country music performer Mikayla Lee.

The fair also will feature a carnival and midway, petting zoo, tractor pulls, exhibits and other events.

For more information, call 360-4721 or go to www.clevelandcountyfair.org.

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