ALEXANDRIA, Ind. —
Bradley Mason, a Summitville youngster, was thrilled Wednesday as he recapped his rides in the midway at the Madison County 4-H Fair.
“My favorite ride was the boat one,” referring to the Hurricane, a lift-and-spin ride, “’cause it was goin’ super-fast.”
It wasn’t long though that Mason and fair attendees were not running from a hurricane but a downpour that sent everyone scampering for cover until the rain ceased about 5:30 p.m. Rides were temporarily shut down.
Fairgoers soon went back to tasty food stands and dizzying ride attractions.
As he walked through the fairgrounds, the Rev. Warren Brown of Alexandria, an attendee of the fair for over a decade, said, “The heat really does slow (the fair) down, but people love to be a part of it. I think the fair’s been real good for Madison County.”
Despite the heat and the storms, the midway has a lot to offer for Alexandria and the rest of Madison County. Between classic fair food and new and returning rides, the Madison County 4-H fair has delivered another carnival for the entire area to come and see.
Robert “Butch” Lewis, chairman of the midway for the Kiwanis Club, said there are 45 food and souvenir vendors. Three of them are new this year: a shaved ice stand, a trailer serving soft-serve ice cream, and a stand offering Wild West soft drinks such as sarsaparilla. Lewis also noted the number of specialty vendors included a seller of hats, sunglasses and jewelry and an airbrush art trailer from Florida.
“They can airbrush anything on anything you want,” Lewis said.
Lewis also touted the cleanliness of the midway compared to other similar fairs, spraying the midway twice a day and having regular waste disposal.
Fair organizers installed water misting fans to relieve guests from temperatures rising into the mid-90s.
After 26 years of helping the Alexandria Kiwanis Club put out a successful midway, Lewis is still proud of the event, saying, “We have excellent entertainment on stage every night. Please come and enjoy the fair. It’s for everyone in the county.”
As for the star draws, the rides, Family Attractions Ltd. is back for its third year at the 4-H fair. Although many rides are old favorites, there is a new gondola-styled Ferris wheel, complete with flashing LED lighting to add to the mix and a kiddie ride based on Pixar’s “Cars” franchise called The Truckstop. Unfortunately, another new ride, the Ali Baba, styled like a flying carpet, broke down and will not be used this year.
However, the most popular ride, the Music Fest is back again, to take guests on a looped track at fast speeds while Top 40 radio hits play around them. For the little children, the popular Squadron ride, with rising and sinking jet plane design, and the Chinese-themed Orient Express roller track, has also returned to give them a fun experience while easing parents’ worries.
Jack Armstrong, liaison between the Alexandria Kiwanis Club and the ride company, said, “We have rides for both adults and children. The (ride) bracelets are good from the time you buy them until we close.”
Armstrong also stressed the option of purchasing tickets if one is only going to ride a few times; otherwise, he believes the bracelet is an affordable option. Armstrong, noting the weather, emphasized, “We want to thank all the people who have come out and hope we’ll see more of them.”
The 4-H fair continues through Saturday at the fairgrounds adjacent to Beulah Park.
4-H Fair
Related Photos
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Fair goers spin around on the Casino, a ride reminiscent of a roulette wheel, during the 4-H Fair on Wednesday. Don Knight
Discussion
Midway rides thrill fairgoers
45 vendors fill out event; welcomed rain sends everyone running for cover
- 4-H Fair
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Horses big part of 4-Hers life
Nine-year-old Micah Hardy, like many 4-Hers, has never known a life without horses. Her mother joked that her daughter was even on a horse before she was born as she rode while she was pregnant with the girl.
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Souped up and ready to go
It isn’t much of a spectator sport but the competitors readying their garden tractors for the decades-old pull sure do enjoy it. “It’s not that exciting to sit and watch,” joked Wayne Richards, the coordinator for this year’s Garden Tractor Pull at the Madison County 4-H Fair. “But it is a lot of fun to be a part of.
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More to 4-H than livestock
Don’t go into Exhibit Hall just to escape the sweltering heat at the Madison County 4-H Fair. 4-Hers like Tressia Phipps and Jackie Lieurance want you to go there to appreciate the hundreds of projects on display inside that air-conditioned building.
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Teen loves her pigs — and lets them go
In her fifth year of 4-H, Cheyenne Morgan is part of the Grand Champions Club. This year she won two reserve-champion ribbons, a third, two fifths and a sixth place and showed six hogs.
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Midway rides thrill fairgoers
Despite the heat and the storms, the midway at the Madison County 4-H Fair has a lot to offer for Alexandria and the rest of Madison County. Between classic fair food and new and returning rides, the fair has delivered another carnival for the entire area.
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At 4-H Fair, responsibility an age-old component
For Isaac Mohr and his brother, Cade, of Pendleton, raising and showing their animals for 4-H is about responsibility.
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Raising, showing animals is hard work
Showing animals in the Madison County 4-H Fair competitions is more than just strutting animals around an arena. There is a lot of hard work that goes into raising the animals, and then caring for and prepping them for the fair competitions.
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Frankton teen takes first attempt at 4-H competition in stride
Lexie Bousman is participating in her first Madison County 4-H Fair, and though her pet rooster, "Quail Bird," didn’t fare well with the judges, the bird was still a hit in other ways.
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Struggling to find the cool at the fair
As temperatures once again soared into the mid-90s on Monday, finding effective ways to keep animals and their humans cool became job one at the Madison County 4-H Fair.
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Rising early to get rabbits ready
By the time you read this Tuesday, Emilee Hollingsworth will have been up for hours, prepping and primping, cleaning and clipping the nails of her 18 rabbits, readying them for judging at the Madison County 4-H Fair.
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