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Grimes County fair offers up funJun 09, 2011 (The Eagle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The 59th Annual Grimes County Fair will come to a close on Sunday. For fair association President Al Meschke, the fair is a year-round deal, and a matter of county pride. "The fair is very significant to the whole county, from Burleson all the way up to Anderson, and Navasota," Meschke said. "It's amazing to see the number of families who come to the fair every year." Meschke, who has been association president for the past two years, manages to squeeze in those duties between owning a liquor store and working as a consultant for a construction company. "We meet monthly," Meschke said. "With all the steers, hogs, and rabbits, it takes a lot to put these things together." This year's fair started up with the Top Horse Show on May 21 and continued with the County Beef Heifer Show and the crowning of this year's fair queen and princess on June 4. Entertainment includes Jesse Raub Jr. & The Known Associates on Friday, Al White on Saturday and Grupo Vida on Sunday. According to Dan Simpton, a member of the fair board committee, this weekend will be full to the brim with activities. "There's an auction on Friday night at 6 p.m., Saturday a bull riding and bullfights after that," Simpton said. "The ranch rodeo Friday night is also a qualifier for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo." Meschke says regardless of the amount of work that goes into the fair, it's really all about the kids. "At the fair they show you what they're capable of doing," Meschke said. "Raising animals, vegetables, and some really amazing cakes that the kids make themselves." Meschke said the fair brings people in the community together, and people have been coming for generation after generation. "I see fair queens from years ago running around with their kids and grandkids," Meschke said. To close out the last weekend of the fair's 59th year, there will be dances on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Hispanic Heritage Day on Sunday. "It's different," Meschke said. "There are hundreds of people out in the 100-degree weather, kids trying to keep their animals alive and parents trying to make sure their kids are keeping the animals alive. It's not an every-man-for-himself kind of deal -- everyone is helping each other out." To see more of The Eagle or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.theeagle.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Eagle, Bryan, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |