It starts today

[Valley Cat]

13,000, give or take a few. Up 56% from last year. Saturday night, the place was packed and Wednesday night it nearly was. There's room for improvement but this ought to end talk about moving it out of Carthage!

Mike

[Don T.]

Cat
Any attendance figures yet?

[Don T.]

Ray and Emily went there last night he talked about going back Friday Night.

[Valley Cat]

This is definitely NOT last year's or the previous year's fair. The best rides the fair has had in more than a decade, all kinds of great game booths, lots of vendors, revamped Grandstand Entertainment and an emphasis on quality over quantity in the Show Wagon entertainment. The tractor/truck pulls last night were awesome. Plenty of security, both inside and outside the grounds.

Today, 1800 kids and their chaperons got in free and - for the first time in my memory - got to ride free. You can even see what looks like a 7-foot pot plant on display!

Mike

[Valley Cat]

And what a change from last year. Everything, from the number of vegetables and bottle of wines entered to be judged to the groundscape, rides, games and an Opening Day parade are so much better.

A great line-up of entertainment is on tap today, especially the Tractor/Truck pulls which will be held this evening. 

Mike