|
The New River Valley Fair came to a close last night. Before the gates shut until next season at the Dublin Fairgrounds, children of all ages wandered the site for fun, games and a chance to the the tigers at the circus.
The Fair opened Monday, July 21 and ran through Saturday, July 26. Country singer Aaron Tippin drew an enormous crowd to the grandstands on Wednesday. This day of the event was set aside as Armed Forces Day; a day in which uniformed military personnel were admitted through the fair gates for free. In honor of our troops, Tippin made a military tribute and even built a bike on stage for donation to Toys for Tots, a Marine-sponsored toy drive. There were plenty of events to participate in at the fair this year. Every day there were livestock shows – whether your interest is lambs, sheep or cattle, there was something there for you. A small circus act – known as Wambolds Menagerie Animal Exhibit – graced the grounds, as well. “I wanted to see the lions,” said 24-year-old Milissia Webb. “They're so pretty.” Webb shared her seating with small children as well as other adults. There seemed to be no discrimination when it came to catching a glimpse of the big, performing cats. Wambolds Menagerie prides itself not only on providing the crowd with a great show, but also informing all about the animals. “This is a Liger,” the announcer said, introducing one of Wambolds famed animals. “It's a cross between a lion and a tiger. They can grow to around 800 pounds.” The viewers 'ooh'ed' and 'ahh'd' when the Tigers and the Liger jumped a hurdle, bounded from one platform to another and went to their 'homes' inside cages on command. Wambolds also featured an equestrian act of small proportions (complete with miniature horses, of course), a K-9 Revue party bus and a cage of kangaroo's. “We've been walking around a lot, just looking at everything,” said Ashley Simmers, a Newbern native attending the fair with her husband, Darrin. “It's pretty cool; I haven't rode anything, though.” Many of the rides were filled with small children, leaving adults to stand by with camera's in hand. There was also a share of carnival games and plenty of stuffed animals to be won. A magic show was housed inside one of the fairgrounds' buildings along with several vendors. Political parties from around the valley were represented with tables of propaganda. One bipartisan group stood among the patriotic presenters, rallying for support of the FairTax, a reform of our current tax system. Photos by Leigh Anne Correll
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed