THE BALLOON MAN

Workers busy getting Brazos Valley Fair ready for crowds

 

Eagle photos by Stuart Villanueva

Above: A worker with Wright’s Amusements swings into position while constructing the ferris wheel at the carnival Tuesday at the Brazos Valley Fair and Expo. The carnival opens for a sneak peek Wednesday at 4 p.m., with all other fair activities beginning on Thursday.
By Maggie Kiely
from the eagle.com
Brian-College Station TX
September 5th, 2012
A feeling of hustle and bustle swept over the Brazos County Expo on Tuesday afternoon as staff, volunteers and crews worked to transform the complex for the first Brazos Valley Fair and Expo complete with a carnival, rodeo, livestock shows and concerts.
Residents can get a sneak peek by attending the carnival between 4 p.m. and midnight Wednesday; the fair starts Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Crews weren’t able to start officially preparing the fairgrounds until patrons who hosted a weekend horse show had left late Monday, said Tom Quarles, executive director of the Expo.

By Tuesday afternoon, all the cattle pens and horse stalls had been set up, most of the fencing that will surround the event was in place and some of the more aesthetic work — such as mowing the lawns and setting up the flags that would line the driveway — was under way.

The carnival — which sits on five acres — arrived in parts over the weekend and was being handled by the employees who came in with it. Most of the attractions were up Tuesday with workers finishing last-minute chores like cleaning the funnel cake trays and washing tents.
“It’s been a long time coming, but from our standpoint, we’re on schedule,” Quarles said. “Tonight [crews] will go until 12 a.m. or 2 a.m.”

Undertaking such a major project has required detailed scheduling and purposeful planning, he said.

Preparations for the fair began in 2010 when a group of area agricultural leaders and educators got together in support of the idea. About a year after the Fair Steering Committee was formed, Travis Boeker was brought on as general manager and since then fair officials have been laying the groundwork for the region’s inaugural fair.

The Brazos Valley Fair will be the first event of its kind in Texas and the nation to be created from scratch within the past 40 years, officials said.
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