FLORIDA FAIR NEWS
20th Annual Hillsborough County Fair It’s All About Agriculture
Reprinted from feature by Amanda Deck, Focus on Brandon For the 20th year, the Hillsborough County Fair ran from Wednesday,
October 16 through Sunday, October 20 at the county fairgrounds site in Dover. Unlike the area’s much larger fair events, the Hillsborough County Fair is a more traditional county Fair focused mostly on showcasing the agricultural industry. “Fairs started years ago when farmers fought over who’s cow was bet-
ter, which later led to an independent judge selecting the winner,” said Hillsborough County Fair Manager Tom Umiker. “That’s what we’re all about…teaching others where our food comes from. Our goal is to pre- sent a creative, hands-on environment that people can enjoy. They can have fun on the rides, eat something unique, and have an educational experience.” This community-oriented celebration is run exclusively by a large group
of volunteers—over three hundred of them—who give of their extra time and resources to ensure the fair is enjoyable for all. Although several volunteer fair board members are active in the local business community, many are area farmers, those looking to promote the current agriculture industry and preserve its rich history. “They do everything from picking up trash to mowing the grass,” said
Umiker. Through the help of these selfless volunteers, the Fair has seen tre-
mendous growth in attendance and participation over the years. In fact, new to this year’s Fair was a 20,000 square-foot multiuse building which held several competitions and activities throughout the 5-day event. Per- manent restrooms were also constructed. In addition, Umiker was looking forward to the expansion of the histori-
cal area, which featured a fully operational sawmill. At the same time, the folks at Bliss Construction used the sawmill’s freshly-cut logs to construct an adjacent blacksmith shop. Other booths were set up displaying the work of old-time trade craftsmen, including a charcoal-making demonstra- tion. Old farming equipment and community photographs were also on display in this unique area. The Fair also hosted a number of exciting entertainment options, with
the most educational being the Firefighter Show. During each perfor- mance, audience members got the chance to become firefighter trainees and take part in a simulated fire scene. Partici- pants got the chance to lay out and attach the fire hose, extinguish “flames” and rescue vic- tims. After the presentation, kids were invited to practice their fire escape techniques in a smoke house crawl. Therefore, what may be fun and entertaining today may save a life in the future. Making an appearance at the Hillsborough
County Fair was also Robinson’s Racing Pigs. This show is a fixture at many area festivals since its debut at the Florida State Fair in 1985, but each show is always different…and equally entertaining. With real pigs as the show’s stars, you never know what will happen! Animal lovers also enjoyed Heidi Herriott’s
Family Fun Circus. Stunts performed by horses, dogs, and acrobats left families in awe. The popular Ranch Rodeo took place on
Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 in the 1,800-seat outdoor arena. This thrilling show featured real ranch hands competing in a variety of tasks from wild cow milking and bronc riding, to branding and trailer loading. Also on Saturday, October 19 the Bay Area Bandits Mounted Shooters brought the action of the Old Wild West to life. The show was free to specta- tors with paid admission. Finally, a trip to the Fair was not complete
without a spin on the midway rides, presented by Arnold’s Amusements. Although livestock is a staple at the Hills- borough County Fair each year with multiple dairy, beef, goats, sheep, swine, rabbit, horse, and poultry shows, competitions were also available to the masters of fine arts. Children
39 Fair Manager
Tom Umiker and Director Robert McElheny show
off the Fair’s new building.
Fair Volunteer Lee Stark gets ready for Opening Day (left) while the en- trance gates boasted a beautiful Fall display…..
and adults displayed their talent in a variety of categories including, but not limited to, baking, photography, painting, basket weaving, sculpture, and sewing. Returning to the 2013 fair was the Teenage Battle of the Bands, with
the winners receiving free recording studio time at Morrisound Studios, the Harvest Queen Pageant, the Spotlight Talent Competition, the Cow Whip Contest, and the highly anticipated Chili Cook-off sponsored by the Rotary Club of FishHawk/Riverview on Sunday, October 20.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48