fair weather White County Fair brings cheap, country fun For students looking for a cheap date, some fall entertainment or just a fun night in Searcy, the White County Fair provided an outlet to meet almost everyone’s needs. The fair,in its 72nd year,was held from September 10-15 at theWhite County fairgrounds.The festivities began onMonday morning with a parade that went down Race Street and was complete with the crowning of the White County Horse Queen. In the evening, the fair was packed with people of all ages, including many Harding students.Many students attended the fair onTuesday night, or Free Night, and made a cheap date of the evening. “I didn’t have homework, so I decided to go,” junior Joseph Falconberry said.“Once I got there,I had a great time.It was nice to be off campus.There are always unique people that go to fairs, so it was a fun experience.” The fair had attractions for all types.There was a petting zoo full of goats, sheep and cows,typical fair rides like the Ferris wheel and giant slide,vendor booths, arts and crafts competitions and games. Friday and Saturday evening were the big-ticket events: the rodeo and the demolition derby. Freshman Pam Osborne ventured to the fair for the first time to catch the demolition derby and the rodeo with her friends.Osborne said she had never been to a demolition derby before so the experience was new to her. “It was very exciting,”Osborne said.“I didn’t expect there to be girl drivers, so that was really fun!” The fair also boasted an array of carnival foods like cotton candy, corn dogs, funnel cakes and other assorted fried goods. Junior Nicole Shaffer tried some of the fried fair delicacies. “For the longest time,I didn’t want to try a deep fried Oreo,”Shaffer said, “but I tried one at my hometown fair and really liked them, so I decided to give the White County Fair’s a try.” Junior Kari Izard, an avid fair attendee, went to the fair on Saturday night. “My favorite thing was riding the swings,” Izard said. “I also went to the rodeo where I watched cattle roping.” Izard said she enjoyed the smaller atmosphere that the White County Fair boasted in comparison to other larger fairs she had attended and was glad to be able to see all of the attractions in one evening. The fairwas a greatway for students tominglewith the Searcy community and other surrounding areas and provided a fun distraction from homework. “I ate a whole dill pickle,”Falconberry said.“I won a yellow rubber duck, a blue stuffed dolphin and I got to ride the Ferris wheel with a pretty girl. It was a good night.” [Michelle Greer and Katie Ulliman] 34 [student life]
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