Fair organizers: Good turnout despite rain
LES HASSELL
Children take a spin Wednesday on a ride at the Gregg County Fair.
from: news-journal.com
By Glenn Evans
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Longview, Texas--A new event added muscle to the Longview Jaycees Gregg County Fair this year while an old standby unexpectedly ran away with the show, the event’s producer reported Monday.
Children take a spin Wednesday on a ride at the Gregg County Fair.
from: news-journal.com
By Glenn Evans
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Longview, Texas--A new event added muscle to the Longview Jaycees Gregg County Fair this year while an old standby unexpectedly ran away with the show, the event’s producer reported Monday.
Billy Clay was still compiling attendance numbers, but he also was looking back with satisfaction on the decision, three years ago, to stretch the event across two weekends.
“We ought to be in good shape all around,” Clay said. “We lost Thursday night and Friday night. On both of them, we got a washout. People say, ‘Why do you do nine days?’ If you get a washout, you need it. And we needed it.”
This was the 63rd year the Jaycees have produced the fair, which supports several nonprofit groups such as Ambucs, Safe Haven Horse Rescue and Teen Court.
Rains Thursday held off long enough to crown Ashley Phillips from Spring Hill High School as Miss Gregg County 2012. By Saturday afternoon, he said, crowds appeared to shake off the rainy week and filled the Longview Fairgrounds until midnight.
“You couldn’t ask for better weather,” he said. “The temperatures were down, the tempers were down and the crowd was good.”
“You couldn’t ask for better weather,” he said. “The temperatures were down, the tempers were down and the crowd was good.”
One returning event became the bell of the ball, Clay said.
“Believe it or not, the pig races were,” he said, adding the fleet of porkers have competed in 12 or 13 fairs but never drew so many squealing fans. “I haven’t got a clue (why).”
A new event, arm-wrestling, provided its own shot in the arm. Clay said the competition might be expanded to include qualifying and final rounds next year.
“It went off really well,” he said.
Clay said to look for the 2013 fair to break new ground. Clay already has set the 64th fair on Sept 6-14.
“We’ve got a whole new show coming in next year — a complete makeover of the rides,” he said. “We’re always trying to do better and 2013 will be bigger and better.”
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