Summer is in full swing in Clermont County and one of the highlight summer events is right around the corner.

The Clermont County Fair is scheduled to kick off July 22 at the fairgrounds in Owensville and will run through July 28.

“Everything is pretty much ready to go,” Todd Slone, Fair Board president said.

Slone said they have been planning for the 2012 fair since the 2011 fair ended.

“The slogan for this year is creating memories,” Slone said. “There have been a lot of memories in the 163 years of the fair.”

Slone said they have made a couple changes to the fair this year.

“On Tuesday we’ve changed it up a little bit,” Slone said. “We’re going to call it family day. Everyone gets in half price all day long.”

Slone said family day will also feature The Amazing Portable Circus, which will bring a variety of entertainers to the fair including clowns, jugglers, magicians, acrobats and more.

He said the show will be at 7:30 p.m. July 24 in the Grandstand and will be approximately two hours long.

Slone said veterans’ recognition day has also changed this year. It was moved to July 22 and will begin at 6 p.m. in front of the Grandstand. Clermont County’s American Idol contestant Eben Franckewitz, of Milford, is scheduled to perform the Star Spangled Banner at the ceremony.

“Pretty much everything else is the same,” Slone said about the other nighttime entertainment options. “Monday, Wednesday and Friday are tractor pulls, Thursday and Saturday are demo derbies.”

The fair will also feature a variety of daily entertainment and activities throughout the week including carnival rides, games, contests, shopping opportunities as well as plenty of food and beverage vendors.

Activities will kick off at 1 p.m. July 22 with the Stonelick Township Firefighters Association parade followed by the opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. at the Willis Music Entertainment Tent.

The Junior Fair will also begin July 22 and features a slew of 4-H activities including the royalty contest, livestock shows, baking contests, fashion shows, demonstrations and more.

Slone said 4-H projects are a huge part of the fair, and it is neat to see the hard work and dedication the children have put into their projects.

“One of the things I get to do as president is help hand out awards,” Slone said. “When a kid gets first place, the look in his eyes when they announce his name, all the hard work everyone puts in at the fair, that is the reward.”

Kelly Royalty, the 4-H youth development program educator in Clermont County, said children who participate in 4-H have been working hard all year on the projects they will present at the fair.

“This is really a chance for people in our community to see our youth take on responsibility,” Royalty said about the 4-H projects. “It’s exciting to see how involved the kids are.”

The fair will run from 8 a.m. until midnight Monday-Saturday.

Daily admission is $10 and there are several discounts available during the week including free admission on Sunday, $5 admission on family day, $3 for senior citizens on July 25 and discounts for veterans.

For more information about the Clermont County Fair or to view the schedule of the fair visit www.clermontcountyfair.webs.com.