Mesa County Fair

WOW..I can't believe it is fair time.  Of course growing up the fair was always the first full week of August.  How do I know? Well....

 

Yeah...that's me.  Mesa County Fair Queen 19--- well, that part doesn't matter. I was driving home last night with Shirley Flanagan from Institute, and as we drove past the fair grounds, I couldn't believe all the cars, lights and activity.  It was awesome!!  You see, I started going to the fair when I was 5. Yes, back in the day (as they say at my work) they let even younger than normal kids into 4H.  So, I joined with my big sister Ellen.  We were in the Unaweep Club, the Loma Club and finally in the Orchard Mesa Club.  I couldn't take steers until I was 8, but until then I took rabbits and other little things.  Back then the fair was one thing and one thing only...a livestock show! The old ranchers on the fair board had no use for all that foo foo stuff.  Livestock was serious business. The fair was hot, dusty and there was one little snack stand.

Fast forward to the end of my junior year of high school, my boyfriend broke up with me and I was in serious need of some validation.  I had never even thought about trying to be Fair Queen, to be honest, I hadn't paid them any attention over the years.  But, my sister Ellen had a secret wish...she had wanted to be fair queen, but because of her illness she never went for it.  So, she talked me into filling out the application just before I went on a 2 1/2 week 4H trip down to Louisiana.  The interviews were the day after I got back, I threw on a dress and my Mom drove me in, I knew they were going to ask me about current events, so Harriet, ever the news hound, filled me in on the way there. About 2 weeks later, I was surprised when they announced my name at the ceremony, Ellen was thrilled.

Little did I honestly know what I was in for...you see that was a pretty pivotal year for the Mesa County Fair.  There was a new Extension agent, and a few new members of the fair board and they had decided that it was a county fair  not just a livestock show. I did interviews, I rode in parades, I went to lots, and lots of committee and planning meetings. I learned how to get businesses involved, I learned how to book a carnival, and I learned how to organize.  That year the fair had a carnival for the first time, we had Tommy Roe come and give a concert (you may remember his one hit "Dizzy"), we had watermelon eating contests, water fights, and even a greased pig contest and I got to participate. I think we started something that year.  After that the carnival became standard, the community involvement started to grow and the fair took off.

I went last year and was surprised to see some old faces, who now have kids showing animals. I couldn't believe how much it has grown, and I am so glad.  The Mesa County Fair is now a huge community event, just as it always should have been.  Those old men that were on the board are probably rolling in their graves, it's to bad they missed such a fun time. 

So, GO TO THE FAIR!!!!!