David Smith Jr. Human Cannonball Will Return to Steele County Fair

The cannon is on display on the Steele County Fairgrounds, but unless David Smith Jr. is seeking a quick ride to Hy-Vee it might need to be aimed differently for the fair.

Fair manager Jim Gleason told me Smith is storing the cannon in Owatonna while traveling in the region. David "The Bullet" Smith has performed more than 5,000 cannon shots around the world, according to his website, and holds the record for the highest cannon shot.

David Smith Jr. is following his father in a career of being launched 150 feet into the air. They were interviewed by NPR on their occupational hazards. Smith Sr. was a teacher before making the change, he told the reporter.

Smith Jr. will launch over a ride on the midway twice each day of the Steele County Free Fair. The scheduled indicates launch times of 5:30PM and 8:30PM Tuesday through Saturday and 2:30PM and 6:30PM on Sunday.

Onlookers pack the area around the launch site every year. People who have seen it before want to see it again. First-timers gawk as the voice of the fair Todd Hale counts down to blast off.