Miss Texas 2018 is no dummy, but she works with a couple. of them.
Madison Fuller, who will emcee the Miss Rockdale Fair Queen Pageant Saturday is a ventriloquist.
This 43nd Fair is again a “week long” one.
The queen contest and the annual children’s pageant are Saturday and that’s also the day for the youth baked goods contest at the Fair Park Clubhouse.
After a day off Sunday, home economics entries will check in Monday. For the second straight year it’s back to its traditional site, the Fair Park (New Salem) Clubhouse.
Home economics judging is 12-noon to 5 p.m.
The calf scramble is Wednesday evening in the show barn and that’s also the official opening of the Fair’s carnival.
PAGEANTS—Doors open for the 40th annual Miss Rockdale Fair Queen Pageant at 7 p.m. Saturday in the RHS Auditorium with the pageant beginning at 7:30.
Fuller will be mistress of ceremonies.
Fuller is a native of Fairfield and is an elementary teacher in Tyler. She’s a graduate of Texas A&M and is pursuing a masters degree at Dallas Baptist.
Her “companions,” Austin and Ally helped her in the Miss Texas talent competition (ventriloquist Miss Texas providing all the voices) reeled off the names of several dozen towns in the classic country song “I’ve Been Everywhere.”
She will return to Rockdale for the “big Fair weekend.”
Doors for the Children’s Pageant open at 10:30 a.m. for the 11 a.m. pageant, also in the auditorium.
(See photos of children’s pageant contestants, page 6C).
TICKETS—Pageant-goers are reminded they will need Fair tickets, either the all-day season passes, or one-day tickets, to attend the pageants.
Fair queen contestants, and their sponsors, are selling season passes priced as follows:
• Adult, $25.
• Child, ages 5-12, $15.
• Senior citizen, ages 60 and over, $15.
Children ages 4 and under are admitted free.
Deadline to purchase season passes, which admit the bearer to all Fair events both weekends (including dances with Michael Salgado, Mark Chesnutt and Pat Green) is 12-noon Thursday, Oct. 18.
One-day tickets at the gate Oct. 19-20 will be $20 for adults and $10 for 5-12 and 60-and-above.
LOCATIONS—Season tickets may be purchased at the following businesses:
Rockdale—The Rock-dale Reporter, The Ranch, City Hall, Citizens National Bank Downtown, Citizens National Bank Drive-Through, Rockdale Federal Credit Union, Brookshire Brothers, Rockdale Signs, Whiteley Farm Supply.
Thorndale—Rockdale Federal Credit Union Thorn-dale Branch.
Cameron—Anderle Lumber, The Bling Box.
Tickets may also be purchased from Cindy Hughes in Thorndale and Monica Garrison in Cameron.
BAKED GOODS—The children’s baked goods competition is set for Saturday in the New Salem Clubhouse.
Contestants may turn in baked goods between 8 and 10 a.m. and items should be picked up between 1 and 3 p.m.
Winners must prepare new entries to be sold in the Oct. 21 auction.
There’s a separate baked goods division in the home economics show.
PIGS, RIDES—The second Fair “weekend” opens on Wednesday, Oct. 17, with a couple of events at the park.
The annual pig scramble is set for 6:30 p.m. in the show barn.
Oct. 17 is also the first day for the Fair’s carnival, which will be open between 6 and 10 p.m.
Wednesday night is the only time the carnival will be accessible without the park entrance fee.
Prices for “bracelets” which allow the bearer unlimited rides were listed as follows:
Oct. 17 (Wednesday)—Carnival begins at 6:30 p.m., wristbands are in effect from 7-10 p.m and cost $20.
Oct. 18—Carnival opens at 5 p.m., wristbands are in effect from 6-10 p.m. and cost $25.
Oct. 19—Carnival opens at 5 p.m., wristbands are in effect from 6-10 p.m. and cost $25.
Oct. 20—Carnival opens at 1 p.m., wristbands are in effect from 5-10 p.m. and cost $30.
Without wristbands, rides will cost between three to five tickets at $1 each.
MORE TO COME—And that’s just the start of the 2018 Fair. The “big weekend” is Oct. 18-20.
On Thursday, Oct. 18, market animals begin arriving and there’s judging of market rabbits, lambs, goats and turkeys.
Food booths open and there’s exhibition and 4-D barrels. Michael Salgado play for dance.
The pace picks up even more Friday, Oct. 19, with arts and crafts, check-in and inspection for the barbecue cookoff and judging in ag mechanics, swine, breeding beef heifers, commercial heifers and steers.
That day concludes with the first rodeo performance and music by Kenny Orts and Mark Chesnutt.
The biggest day of the big weekend is Saturday, Oct. 20 with a downtown parade, car show commercial heifer and market sales, all kinds of entertainment including western recreations by the Old West Rangers, the second rodeo performance, more arts and crafts, washers and horseshoes, barbecue judging and more.
It all wraps up with a triple-header of music performers, Mario Flores, The Emotions and Pat Green.
That’s also the day for the Fair’s two big sales, commercial heifers and the youth livestock action. Last year those two sales combined to raise $689.295 for are 4-H and FFA youth.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.