By MATT THACKER
Matt.Thacker@newsandtribune.com
FLOYD COUNTY —
The Floyd County 4-H Fair came to a close Saturday night, but the event organizers are wasting no time in getting ready for next year.
“We have a meeting next Wednesday at 6:30 where we’ll have a fair evaluation and figure out where we’re headed. No rest,” said Keith Redden, president of the 4-H Corp. Board.
Redden said the fair this year was a success, although he believes the heat prevented the attendance from growing compared to years past.
“I think attendance the last two days has been good. Of course, the heat’s been a bad thing, but people are surviving,” he said.
He estimated about 30,000 people over the course of the week had been to the fair, which is slightly above average.
This year, the elephants seemed to steal the show every night. After the high-diving pig group was unable to attend due to the owner having a stroke, fair organizers had to search for a replacement.
Redden said the elephants were available for the week and were within their price range. He said many people drove from out of the county and even from Kentucky to see elephants.
“Of course, the elephants have been a real eye-catcher,” Redden said. “It’s something never before seen in New Albany.”
The other new event was the lawn mower race on Friday night, and Redden said that was a “huge success.” He said they hope to have more races in the future.
“I think they like seeing stuff like this, not the same old stuff every year,” he said.
The fair began in 1858 and moved to the fairgrounds along Green Valley Road in 1953. Redden points out that it is not a county fair. The event is the primary fundraiser for the Floyd County 4-H, and he said it is only possible because of the hard work of the children and volunteers.
The work continued today with the eight or 10 volunteers who regularly run the Floyd County 4-H returning to the fairgrounds for the annual Sunday cleanup.
