Howard Fair

[Maude]

PEP,
In reading about early advertising. Has anyone started talking about the Elk River Festival? I think it is a couple of months away, but if they would start now and contact venders and different entainment it might be better. It seems to me it also has declined since it was first started.
Maude

[D Whetstone]

Great ideas folks! And great passion.

Good news. There should be a movie, this year, at the Elk County Fair (Longton).  Elk Konnected is organizing and sponsoring this.  I don't know the details yet, but my roommate is on the Action Team putting this together and it sounds like it is going to happen.

I would encourage all of you to get involved in real space and take your ideas and energy beyond cyberspace. Now, I know many of you are involved in local organizations. But we need more.  Elk Konnected is working on many of the projects that are mentioned on the forum.  We will be having a Community Forum in August. Come and find out what is happening and how you can get involved. Other organizations that are moving us all forward include the Howard Chamber of Commerce, the Elk County Community and Education Foundation, and there are others.

We need you. We need each other.

David

[Dignified Redneck]

Ok, here is my two cents worth.

PEP, I remember when you and your brothers were active in the Elk County Fairs!!!!!!!

Point #1.  County fairs were established as a celebration for bragging rights for the agricultural production in a county.  It was a local thing.

Point #2.  How many of your young people in the county are involved in agricultural endevors?

Point #3. I was at the fair on Saturday night and there was approx. 50 high school age kids there "socializing" about the time the dance started.  We left at approx. 11 p.m. and followed most of the kids out of the fairgrounds.  Other than the retired citizens of Elk County, which demographic group has the most disposible income to spend?  The teenagers!!!!!!  I'm not knocking the music, the problem is I'm middle aged now & that was my kind of music.  If the fair board is going to use the dance as a money maker, they need to cater/market to the group that will come and pay to dance/socialize.

Point #4.  I saw an advertisement in the spring for a ranch rodeo, was it held?  If so, how many of the downtown businesses advertised to support it? Was it a sanctioned ranch rodeo so the participants could get points for a bigger show?  How big of a crowd does the mud runs bring in?  If you started renting out RV spaces at the fair grounds, what arrangements will need to be made for their "gray" water?  Have you tried to stock the City Lake for future bass tournaments and court the small fishing clubs within a 3 hour travel limit? Think of the people with money to bring to Elk County, with the idea that most of the Wichita money with any interest is only for hunting or fishing.

Whoops, I think that was 5 cents worth.

[pepelect]

Dad was Howard fair board  president for ten thousand four hundred and eighty seven years.  My brothers(both the lazy taco pusher and the old get out of work free one) and me have cleaned the entire  barns after the 4-H fair more than enough times to consider is a very bad memory.  I think we wore out 3 snapper lawn mowers and a couple of weed eaters.  The paint on every board of the grand stands must have been white washed every year.  We used to put the stupid 7 million pound antique oak glass topped cases above the stage right after we broke down all 16 booths, put out all the chairs and tables from under the stairs and sweept the floor three times before the dance while at the same time getting your steer ready for the sale.  Learned how to make popcorn at three months.   Never knew every one didn't know how to cook with a 30qt roaster. 

We picked up enough beer bottles and cans Sunday morning to pay for the prize money ten fold... That was because  the grounds were packed till dawn... The fights wouldn't start till after ten...  They were usually started by some hot cowgirl putting a come here in her place.  The boy friend would get knocked in the head by a brother or neighbor...... or a dreaded out of towner cowboy would show up to start some "cow pattie"   TF Wiseman or one of the Juaire's usually put them in their place. 

If the 4-H was at Howard first you didn't sell but took the animals home and did it all again at Longton.

Their dances weren't near as violent...


I HATE FAIRS................but I am not bitter.

[Diane Amberg]

The 4-Her's should be cleaning up the barns! We always did. After a show you would never have known we were ever there, except for the big manure and straw piles out back and that got taken away and spread. Some kids group should be picking up cans and bottles. Scouts, swim team?  White washing, same thing, with supervision. Older teens surely can mow and weed whack.  Older kids should be able to do the tables and chairs too. Glass topped cases? You better do that!  Now we take you back to yesteryear....If it was done before, do it again. If not, start it. Go,Go,Go!

[Lookatmeknow!!]

I do know that the Kids do go down and prepare the barns before the fair.  At least we have the past 4 years, but it is really just cleaning out the barns and putting up panels and things.  Nothing is really done inside the fair barns, that is that I know of.  I do know that last year the Flinthill boosters did paint inside the fair barn in the bathrooms last year or the year before.  I also know that Parker has clean out her bucket calf and steer pens in the past after the fair.  You know, I am sure that the 4-Hers would help if asked.  I was thinking to myself this year, that no one asked me to help at the concession stand like in the past.  Oh, well.  I think the big part is that people arent asked, or if they are they are busy.  Don't know.

[Diane Amberg]

Sounds like all you really need then is to reopen some communication lines again. If a lot of people do a little, then rarely is anyone too busy to help do something. Ask 'em...which hour, or block of time, may I put you down for. Send thank you notes, especially to kids and first time helpers. Make them feel a part of things. Print helpers names in the paper. Make a fuss over them. Can you find some sponsors? I can get free cheeseburger coupons from our Mc Donald's whenever I need them to give to helpers for projects. Maybe Sonic?

[Teresa]

Angie.. I think that the people are asked to come to the fair meetings.
I am guilty as charged for not helping. One year I jumped in with both feet and organized  adults contests.
We had the kids stuff.. so I thought that to get the adults involved in the evenings we should have some old fashioned fun stuff.
We had the nail driving contest.. the egg throwing contest, the cowpatty throwing contest. the 3 legged race contest.( of which my sister and I laughed so hard we couldn't synchronize or steps came in last place) . We all had fun that year.. or so everyone said that they did..
I had several other ideas too.
I have had some ideas for entertainment etc.. thrown them to the "powers that be"  which have fallen on deaf ears.
Sooo.... I don't go to the meetings. and that is my fault... because I am so very much into traditional stuff. I want my grand kids to enjoy the old fashioned fair time. I realize that Carnivals are going bankrupt and lets face it.. After having Worlds of Fun and 6 -Flags and Steal your Dollar.. errr I mean Silver Dollar City and all the rides that they have, a ferris wheel ride and the Bullet and Octopus  ride isn't a big draw to the young people, like it was to us. BUt still, the agri/farm part is a huge draw and entertainments a draw, and ANYTHING to get the people to actively join in and have fun and laugh could be a draw. 

I would work if ask, and I am sure lots of people would.. but to be fair, we shouldn't have to BE ASKED.. we should be more community minded and go to the meetings and let ourselves be heard.

[Teresa]

And if they don't listen.. we just talk a little louder... 

[D Whetstone]

Free Family Movie sponsored by Elk Konnected is Thursday, July 31st at 9:30 p.m.  Movie yet to be announced. I hope all can come and support and enjoy the movie. Should be a fun time.

DW