As the Montezuma County Fair quickly approaches, preparations all seem to be going along smoothly. The fair is scheduled to open on August 1 as scheduled.
Were just making sure everything is still on schedule and getting our advertising finalized, said Rodney Cox, President of the Montezuma County Fair Board.
Thats not to say that it hasnt been an interesting ride getting to this point. While the preparations have gone relatively uninterrupted, there have been a few snags have been hit along the way. During the Weber Fire, fire crews were originally stationed at the school bus park but were eventually moved to the fairgrounds.
That wont impact the fair at all, reassures Cox. If the fire were still going on it would. Tanner Young is the fairgrounds manager out there and he does a heck of a job getting stuff from one event to the next.
However, these minor hiccups are not going to stop Montezuma County from having a great time at the beginning of August.
Members of 4-H are also facing last minute preparations as the date rapidly approaches.
With the heat and everything thats been going on, (were) pushing animals to make weight, said Montezuma County 4-H program coordinator Tonya Yates. The heat keeps some animals from wanting to eat. Its just too hot. You have to come up with some clever ways to make them eat.
Also kids who have made garments over the summer have to re-check measurements in case they have grown a bit.
Some major events to highlight are the demolition derby, which will actually take place July 28, before the fair has officially kicked off.
We actually had the Ranch Rodeo planned for Saturday (Aug. 4) but thats the same weekend as Pagosas fair, said Cox. A lot of the teams would end up competing in that fair so we moved it up a week to keep some of the local teams interested.
Friday looks to be the most event-filled day of the fair, which includes professional wrestling for the first time at the fair.
I think the wrestling is a good idea, said Yates. I think anything we can do to get people out to the fair is great.
Two other intriguing events scheduled for Friday are the chips and salsa competition as well as the jalapeno-eating contest.
The final day of the fair, Saturday, will bring the chuckwagon dinner, as well as the junior livestock sale which is a very popular event.
The junior livestock sale is really what its all about in my mind, said Cox.
Indeed, the junior livestock sale is really the culmination for all the kids that have worked so hard in 4-H.
All of the kids get to sell one animal if they have made weight, said Yates. We sell by the head. We used to sell by the pound, now we sell by the head.