2018 Fair: A flood of support

At least they didn’t have to wet down Fair Park to keep the dust away this year.

It wasn’t the lack of water, but too much of it, which caused problems at the 2018 Rockdale Fair.

A couple of popular events were canceled but in the end, as always, the Rock-dale-area business community came through, sharing over $615,000 of its “liquid assets” with Milam County’s 4-H and FFA youngsters.

The annual livestock auction raised at least $320,000—that’s not the final total, books are open until midweek—$273,000 in the commercial heifer sale, $12,900 for baked goods and $9,600 in ag mechanics.

‘SUPPORT, SAFETY’—

Cindy Hughes, Rockdale Fair Association president, expressed appreciation for the business community’s support.

“Even with the weather, they really came through for these kids,” she said.

“And the people came out even though we had to cancel the carnival and rodeo,” she said. “We had large crowds for the dances and many of the events.”

As for the cancellations, Hughes said Fair directors are disappointed as everyone else, but the tough decisions were made to guarantee the safety of Fair-goers.

“We just are not going to gamble with safety,” she said. “We met last Wednesday, looked at the rodeo grounds and the carnival area and made the decision the potential was there to get someone hurt.”

“The carnival area was saturated and the rodeo arena was literally under water,” she said. (See page 6C for photo).

“Contestants, and animals could have easily been injured if we had tried to have the rodeo,” she said.

“As for the carnival, there are cables going everywhere and we just didn’t want to risk it on that wet ground.”

Temperatures were as low as the 40s at midweek.

MUD—The rest of Fair Park didn’t escape the weather, of course.

Even though “barbecue alley” turned into “mud flats,” the usual huge contingent of cookers showed up and dug in for the weekend.

“Nice Racks” was overall winner with “Ladies in Control” as runner-up.

A couple of accommodations were made to the weather.

The Fair’s car show was shifted a few feet to the west, onto a paved road, and washer competition was held under the park pavilion.

Indoors, everything was pretty much normal. Crowds flocked to the pavilion to hear headliners Michael Salgado Thursday, Mark Chesnutt Friday and Pat Green Saturday.

Entries were up in the Fair’s home economics division which wrapped up last Wednesday, just in time to turn the New Salem HD Clubhouse over to the Fair’s arts and crafts show and sale.

SALES—Stiles Patin of the Thorndale 4-H Club exhibited the grand champion steer in the livestock auction.

The “at least” $320,000 raised in the market livestock sale assured 2018, even with all of its weather problems, at no lower than second place all-time.

Record was last year’s $392,870.

It’s a similar story in the commercial heifer sale. The “at least” $273,000 total this year will be good for at least third place in sale history behind the record $312,505 in 2015 and $256,722 last year.