When the Benton Country Fair moved to a new location in 2007, the board expected to see a temporary drop in attendance. Other fairs had warned them, board president Tim Craig said, not everyone would follow the fair to it's new location.
There were also a few years of bad weather. People don't come out when the fair grounds are muddy, he said.
"The kids and the animals, they'll come out anyway," Craig said, referring to the kids who show farm animals, often through a 4-H group or a school FFA group.
The board realized some changes were needed, but at 111 years old, change wasn't easy.
In 2010, the fair changed it's traditional September date to August.
"We moved ahead of the other fairs," board vice president Eldon Cripps said.
The fair also moved ahead of the high school "pride" nights and Razorback games, Craig added. The weather has also been a little better.
The carnival was a problem too, Craig said, so two years ago, they contracted with a different carnival company and saw a big improvement. The carnival, he explained, draws kids to the fair. Last year the new carnival company brought some entertainment with them including the "Globe of Death," which is a motorcycle act, and racing pigs.
This year, the new stage will be covered, Cripps said. It was up last year, but not yet covered. The stage is surrounded by grass, so people bring their own seating in the form of folding chairs or blankets.
So far, entertainment on the stage hasn't been booked, Craig said. He's waiting until local agents know their clients schedule for the summer. Sometimes if they wait, he said, they can get bigger acts that are filling in holes in their summer schedule.
But while the carnival and the entertainment are changing, some things about the Benton County Fair remain the same. Both adults and children compete in departments ranging from Agronomy to Home Arts. They can enter their own handiwork in categories like "Handmade doll," "Knitted baby wear," or their cooking: "chili sauce," "tomato relish."
The departments don't change much, Craig said, although there may not be entries in all of them. In recent years, the young people bring more small animals like goats and rabbits, because they don't have the space to raise a steer.
Yet Benton County still has one of the largest junior livestock auctions in the state, Craig said.
County Extension Agent Neil Mays said Benton County still has more dairy farms than any other county in the state and it's one of the few fairs that still has a dairy barn.
This year, several Bella Vistans, including past Garden Club President Janice Kennedy, will be at the fair as part of the Benton County Master Gardener program. Volunteer Master Gardeners will manage the Agronomy-Horticulture Department and the Flower Department, which includes herbs, potted plants and flower arrangements.
Kennedy is hoping many Bella Vista residents will choose to compete in the fair.
The Master Gardeners, like the County Extension program, is run by University of Arkansas and both are educational, Mays said. His office just hosted an event for National Agriculture Day with exhibits, food and an open house to remind people that there is still agriculture in Benton County.
But while they work closely with the Country Extension office, the County Fair Board is an independent nonprofit. Board members put in a lot of hours, Craig said. Admission to the fair and a percentage from carnival pays for the annual event.
During the rest of the year, the board rents the buildings and grounds to earn enough money to cover insurance and utilities, Cripps said.
"The County Fair used to be the highlight of the year as entertainment," Craig said, regretfully. He knows he can't compete with places like the Amp, but the fair still has attractions that others don't have.
"Everyone," Craig said, "loves the animals."
General News on 03/25/2015