Rain can’t dampen spirits at county fair
By Suzanne Werre, BHG News Service
The rain on Saturday may have dampened people’s clothes, but it didn’t dampen spirits at the McLean County Fair as the fair board just modified some of its plans a bit, moving some of the events inside. While a few of the events had to be canceled because of the rain (Saturday’s races, coin hunt and model airplane show and Sunday’s horse show), most of the events were able to be held at their scheduled times with the location moved inside. “The people just put up with it,” said Fair Board President Diane Schell, referring to the rain. During Saturday’s parade when it was just drizzling, and even after the parade, people were still just dealing with the light rain rather than going home. The kiddie tractor pull was held during a light rain, and it went off without a hitch. There were lots of competitors and lots of spectators. “The people were standing out there in the misty rain . . . it didn’t matter to them,” said Schell. “We were pleasantly surprised,” she added, regarding how well Saturday’s events were attended. The rain definitely kept some people away Saturday, and it showed in ticket sales at the gate, with about 500 people paying to come to the fair Saturday, not including the 4-H and FFA people who had already purchased 3-day tickets. Fortunately, Friday and Sunday were big days at the fair, the ranch rodeo bringing in the most spectators.
