Benton County Fair Attracts Older Crowd

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Joe and Barb Tropansky of Bella Vista buy root beer floats Thursday at the Benton County Fair in Bentonville.
STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Joe and Barb Tropansky of Bella Vista buy root beer floats Thursday at the Benton County Fair in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Virginia King used to live on Southeast Seventh Street, a block from the old Benton County Fairgrounds near downtown Bentonville. She loved the old location, she said.

"We'd just sit outside and watch them set up the fair," said King, 70.

At A Glance

Today’s Benton County Fair Schedule

Gates open at 9 a.m.

Auditorium

• 10 a.m.-noon: Youth talent show rehearsal

• 5-7 p.m.: Youth talent show

Livestock Building

• 8-8:30 a.m.: Registration for 4-H, FFA livestock/dairy judging in livestock barn

• 9:30 a.m.: 4-H, FFA livestock/dairy judging in livestock barn

• 6 p.m. Goat costume contest in small arena

• 7 p.m.: Beautiful bovine contest in small arena

• 8 p.m.: Old timers showmanship in small arena

Midway

• 11 a.m.: Pride Amusement carnival opens

• 5 p.m.: Tractor pull on the south side of the midway

Next to Midway

• 7:30 p.m.: Live music

• 9:30 p.m.: Live music

Source: Benton County Fair

As much as she misses the old fairgrounds, she has come to accept the new site near Vaughn. That's where the fair has been held since 2007.

"It just seems awfully far out, but things change and things progress and that's what this is," King said.

King was among many at the fairgrounds Thursday whose memories of the Benton County Fair stretched back for decades. Thursday was the fair's Senior Citizens Day, when seniors were admitted free from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is normally $5 for those 6 and older.

Jerry Parks, 72, of Bella Vista sat on a bench inside the Exhibit Hall while his wife perused the quilts on display. Parks said the couple likes to visit the fair every year.

"I like to see the animals and watch the kids take care of the animals," he said.

Parks added he feels it's important to support and encourage the children who enter the various contests at the fair.

"When I see a kid doing something good, I tell them, 'You're doing good. I'm proud of you,'" he said.

Parks said he liked the fair better when it was downtown, but added, "That's the old man in me talking. I wish (the fair) had more support than it does."

Mary Griffin, 75, of Gravette also is a longtime fair visitor. She rested on an Exhibit Hall bench while her husband and daughter looked at the artwork, quilts and other items on display.

Griffin said she enjoys the fair as a chance to see family members and old friends. At one point a cousin stopped to chat with her.

"It's a fun activity. It's a clean activity," she said. "You get to see a lot of people you've known through the years."

Joyce and Kent Kerr, both 63, ate lunch under the pavilion next to the food trailers. Joyce Kerr had a hamburger while her husband enjoyed barbecue nachos.

Joyce Kerr had entered two quilts in the fair. The couple was drawn to the fair Thursday specifically because it was Senior Citizens Day, they said.

"For old fogies who don't ride the Ferris wheel anymore, it's a nice thing," Kent Kerr said of the free admission.

For the second straight year, Ozark Regional Transit provided a trolley to shuttle around anyone who wanted a ride on Senior Citizens Day. Ozark Regional Transit did not charge passengers anything, nor did it charge the fair for the service, according to Cindy Brown, fair manager.

The fair recognizes most seniors live on a fixed income, Brown said. Offering free admission one day each year to seniors is also a show of respect to them, she said.

"We want the older generation here," she said. "We love them. They made us who we are. We want them to be a part of everything here."

NW News on 08/15/2014

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