By MIKE MYERS
The Belton Journal
The unofficial end of summer was marked by a four-day run of the Central Texas State Fair held at the Cadence Bank Center in Belton.
The popular fair was held on Labor Day weekend, August 29th thru September 2nd.
As fairgoers streamed into an air-conditioned building they were greeted with featured crafts, vendors, home services, construction equipment, and recreational sports vehicles to name a few.
There was something for fairgoers of all ages from carnival rides, to the demolition derby, the PBR, mutton bustin’, a petting zoo, concerts, carnival games, and of course the delicious fair foods and drinks. Corn dogs were longer than your hand. A popular fried pastry was funnel cake dusted with powder sugar.
The sounds of kids’ laughter and rides clanging echoed through the fun zone. There were adult rides and children’s rides, along with games that tested eye and hand coordination skills to win a prize.
For Stella Kollstedt 15, visiting family from Kenton, Tennessee, she experienced her first time sitting on Oliver, an African Watusi bull.
“I was brave to sit on the bull but didn’t think it would be so high,” Kollstedt said.
Oliver has horns that are seven-feet long, 26 inches in diameter, and he weighs 1600 pounds.
Stella’s favorite part of the fair is the food and the rides.
Geri and Gene Scofield watched their kids having fun on the rides.
“The nice thing about coming to the fair is making memories by making videos with our phone. I think the lights and sounds of a fair stick with you for a lifetime,” Scofield said.
In the exhibit buildings, James Pierce of Kitchen Tune-up, offered discounts on kitchen cabinet makeovers, for people who scheduled an appointment for a free estimate.
Pierce is a veteran and travels to shows throughout the state.
Larry Brown offered pain relief by demonstrating his different pain-free living stimulus devices.
Free nightly concerts attracted friends with an opportunity to enjoy an adult beverage as they listened to musical entertainment by Casey Donahew, Kevin Fowler, Pat Green and Wade Bowen.
