WASHINGTON CO. FAIR ATTENDANCE UP SLIGHTLY FROM LAST YEAR
There may have been a lot of rain in the forecast, but that didn’t stop large crowds from making their way out to the 151st Washington County Fair.
Numbers from Washington County Fair Manager Dean Fuchs show that attendance this year was up slightly over last year, the 150th anniversary of the fair.
This year’s fair had a total paid attendance of 46,884, compared to 46,638 a year ago.
Breaking down attendance for individual days, Wednesday’s opening night saw 9,343 come out to the fairgrounds, down from last year’s 10,189. Thursday had 8,401 guests this year, up from 7,951 a year ago. Friday’s crowd this year saw a jump of nearly 1,000, with 11,228 attending compared to last year’s 10,288. Saturday’s attendance was down this year at 17,912, compared to 18,210 last year.
The opening weekend and Tuesday of the fair had free attendance, so there are no attendance numbers for those days.
Festivities for the fair got off to a roaring start Wednesday night, with the crowning of Neeleigh Wellmann of Washington County 4-H as the Fair Queen.
The Little and Junior Mr. and Miss contests were also held Wednesday night; Junior Mr. and Miss this year are Connor Schlottman and Kennedy Thumann, while Barhett Davis and Holly Sommerfield were crowned as Little Mr. and Miss.
Thursday’s Junior Livestock Auction set a new record for total sales at $814,450, breaking 2016’s record of $774,850. Three individual records fell that night, as well. The Grand Champion Broiler of Adilynn Lange sold for $10,750, while the Grand Champion Carcass Hogs of Hank Majewski sold for $12,000. Samuel Symm’s Reserve Champion Goats sold for $8,000.
Grand Champions sold a total of $65,205, while Reserve Champions totaled $41,750.
Friday at the fair, 33 participants took part in the Champion Drive Livestock Show, with 75 volunteer buddies from Brenham and Burton ISD. The program gives special needs kids and their families an opportunity to experience showing livestock at the Washington County Fair. Emmy Kate Boyd and Carsyn Hodde were selected as this year’s outstanding volunteer buddies.
Saturday rounded out the fair with the Pet Show. This year, Addelyn Sebastian won first place in Pedigree, while Davis Williams earned first in Non-Pedigree. Best costumed pet went to Bailey and Harley Benker.
KWHI and KTEX-106’s booth at the Fair raised $646 for the Washington County Little League Challenger Division.
Don’t know how this can be true because times we have worked the gate we were told to count everyone that comes through the gate be it’s 1 time or 10, trust me there’s a lot of people for what the reason go in & out a lot. also the gate people get free beer all night so who knows how that turns out in the end. Where is the $’s to match the attendance?
I wanna be a gate person!!!