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By Shared by Eddie Cook  ¦  

By KATIE BASCUAS and COURTNEY FLATT  ¦   The Boone County Fair offers a variety of concession from cotton candy to pork burgers. Fair goers and vendors share their favorite foods and give tips on what not to miss.

By Photo provided  ¦   Jennifer Ledbury

By Photo provided  ¦   Jennifer Ledbury

By PHEOBE SEXTON  ¦   Barb Bishop speaks to the crowd at the Boone County Democrats Day event at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

By ORLIN WAGNER/The Associated Press  ¦   Missouri coach Gary Pinkel answers questions during Big 12 Football Media Days on Monday in Kansas City. Missouri just missed a chance at playing for the national championship after losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship. But the Tigers still finished fourth in the final poll after routing Arkansas 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl to cap off a 12-2 season.

By Brooke Fletcher  ¦   Allison Easton, 19, stores extra doll prizes at the top of her booth. Easton is a student at the University of West Florida but is originally from Alberta, Ala. She travels through summer with the carnival and her friend, Brittany Lowery, whose family owns the booth.

By Brooke Fletcher  ¦   Cooper Martin cleans and prepares his goats for the Junior Meat and Dairy Goat Show at the Boone County Fair on Monday. Martin's family owns and operates the Red Head Acres. The meat goats seen here are enjoying a snack and drink before the competition.

By Brooke Fletcher  ¦   Michelle Hammons of Sedalia sets up her food booth at the Boone County Fair on Monday. Hammons travels with her booth during the summer but does not follow the carnival. She will be located on the main strip for the duration of the fair.

By Brooke Fletcher  ¦   A Sitrex hay rake sits among a cluster of equipment at the Boone County Fair.

By Brooke Fletcher  ¦   Samantha Doubell fills up the machine gun game at the Boone County Fair on Monday. Doubell travels with the "Machine Gun" booth but is originally from South Africa. "I like to travel all the time," Doubell said of her trip to Columbia. "I don't want to be stuck in one place."

By Beverly Denny  ¦   Suzanne Mitchell puts up prizes in her balloon bus before the official opening of the Boone County Fair on Monday. Mitchell's family has been in the carnival business for three generations. She travels to fairs across the Midwest in warm months and does concessions for Mardi Gras every February.

By Beverly Denny  ¦   Camels and ponies are available for rides at Hedrick's petting Zoo at the Boone County Fair.

By Beverly Denny  ¦   Dozens of cured hams were set on display at the Boone County Fair Ham Show. The fair opened to the public Monday with carnival rides, a goat show and a fair queen pageant.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Timothy Nowlin, 6, of Centralia, delivers a speech during the Little Mister Boone County Fair Contest. Nowlin won the competition.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Brianna Gould, left, and Hope Crane wait for their turns to answer questions in the Little Miss Boone County Fair competition.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Shannon Fentiman, 6, of Centralia, is crowned Little Miss Boone County Fair. Fentiman beat out eight other girls for the title.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Dawn Sherill, a pageant contestant from Columbia, tunes her guitar backstage before performing in the Boone County Fair Queen competition Monday night.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Raine McCray of Columbia finishes up her dance routine during the talent portion of the Boone Count Fair Queen competition July 21 at the fairgrounds.

By SARA STOGNER  ¦   Vicky Sapp, left, helps her daughter Morgan prepare her hair backstage for the evening gown segment of the Boone County Fair Queen competition on July 21.