CALHOUN: Another great fair in the books
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By Diane Brangenberg
The perfect weather made for a perfect Calhoun County Fair with record crowds attending.
“We couldn’t ask for better weather,” members of the Calhoun County Fair Board said Sunday afternoon during a break between rounds of the roaring demolition derby occurring nearby. “It’s not too hot, it’s not rainy. Usually it rains at least one of the days, but not this year. All four days were great.”
By Sunday afternoon most of the local stands were out of food and drinks. Whether you are a fan of the rides, the delicious fair food, livestock judging, tractor pulls, demolition derby or pageants. There was something there for everyone. Lots of people just enjoyed getting out and sitting and visiting friends.
The Calhoun County Fair has been a tradition in the region since its inception in 1957. It is managed by a board of 21 volunteers who work tirelessly year-round to ensure each year is better than the last. Fair board members told a reporter positions on the board come with a high regard and are earned over time.
“Usually, people spend time doing a lot of work volunteering, and we add them when a new position opens, because people do retire from it, and new people are able to get on the board.”
They said planning for the 2024 fair begins as soon as 2023’s ends. They have to book entertainment, equipment, rides, and events nearly a year in advance. They added all the revenue generated from each year’s fair goes toward making the next one even better. In the future, board members said they would like to stay the course, adding this year was great. In the area of improvements, they said they would like to see the fairground’s have improvements, including work on some aging buildings. Hopefully, they remarked, that would ensure the fair continues its increase in quality for years to come.
New Calhoun Royalty was also crowned throughout the week. Little Miss Grace Brady, daughter of Luke and Jae Brady of Hardin, Jr. Miss Hinley Hayn, daughter of Stephen and Britney Hayn of Kampsville, and Miss Calhoun Ella Sievers daughter of Shawn and Kristin Sievers of Batchtown were all given their prestigious tiaras throughout the four days of the festival with Sievers’s coronation being the peak of Sunday’s events, closing the fair.
Like the Calhoun County Fair Board, these young women’s work has just begun as they will be touring, visiting, and making appearances throughout the region in the coming months.
■ Cory Davenport also contributed to this article.
