Written by Maggie Samples // Photo by Macy Cox
The White County Fair was held last week in Searcy after a year of planning by the fair board to make improvements on the previous fair.
The fair in White County is over 80 years old and is one of the largest county fairs in Arkansas, with over 20 volunteer fair board members and separate committees for individual venues offered by the fair.
Alan Quattlebaum, president of the fair board, said that over the past two years there have been expansions and upgrades made to fairground buildings, including the rodeo arena.
Quattlebaum also said that two years ago they changed from the International Professional Rodeo Association to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and the rodeo has doubled in size, with 158 entries, because of this change and the arena expansions. Quattlebaum said people from as far as Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma have come to the new arena and Joe Beaver, an eight time world roping champion, has also been to the Searcy rodeo arena.
“We have got so much stuff that I don’t know if there’s another fair around here that’s got what we offer for the public to come see at the price that is charged for people to get in the gate,” Quattlebaum said.
This year the fair offered a carnival, a demolition derby, an education building, a merchant building, the PRCA rodeo, a livestock barn, a pony barn and a petting zoo. Gate prices for adults on Friday and Saturday was $8.
“We appreciate all of the sponsorships and the people that support us by coming through that gates to help pay for everything that goes on out there,” Quattlebaum said.
Gail Snyder, fair board secretary, said the fair board spends a year working on the fair and improving the previous year’s fair.
“We’ll have a meeting next month,” Snyder said, “and we’ll discuss this year’s fair and what needs to be done for next year.”
Snyder said one popular feature is the fifth quarter on Friday nights, when admission is free after 10 p.m. and the fair is open till 1 a.m.
Harding sophomore Kristen Glenn went to the fair on Monday night for $1 night, when entry and all rides cost a dollar. Glenn said she rode a lot of rides and won a plush at one of the games.
“I love fairs, so this was a lot of fun,” Glenn said.
