Fair attendance tops 30K
LIHUE — This year’s Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair was deemed a success.
More than 30,000 people are estimated to have entered the gates, participating in activities that included carnival rides, a fruit and vegetable show, live music and a petting zoo.
“It turned out very well,” said John Gordines, president of the Kauai County Farm Bureau.
Attendance was higher this year than last because the weather was stellar, Gordines said. Moreover, last year, besides contending with torrential rain one night, an unfortunate car accident held up traffic for several hours on a separate evening.
“We had excellent weather this year that made it worthwhile for everyone to come out,” Gordines said. “We had a lot of happy people.”
And it’s no surprise, given that it’s the “biggest, longest and most fun event of the year,” Gordines added.
What also contributed to this year’s excitement were new rides and games, as well as a new agricultural exhibit that had a mechanical milking cow and small John Deere tractors for keiki.
“Because they were too little to go on the rides,” Gordines said.
The Kauai County Farm Bureau will now turn its attention to upcoming events like the annual Holiday Fair in December, the Garden Fair in April, and an Agricultural and Environmental Awareness day in May when more than 500 fifth-graders will learn about what it takes to be ranchers and farmers.
“Our whole vision is to train our students,” Gordines said.
It was my pleasure to participate in the flower design and fundraiser auction with Johnny. The hardest working man on Kaua’i during the fair and there were a lot of other dedicated people doing their thing as well to make the Fair such a great success! Mahalo Johnny and all the other folks for bringing this great chance to see all the wonderful things that hardworking people on Kaua’i produce and raise. The Fair is a great opportunity to get out and see old friends and make new ones. Kauai and America at its best.
30K. That would be a record! Hope everyone had a mahvelous time. Our ohana heard a lot of good bad and ugly situations at this year and last year fair, everything from groping to pickpocket, purse diving, and no one recognizable. We had to use fair funds, reearmarked or that woulda escaped our hands and the monies need to go toward utilities and food. The section 8 is the only thing that is keeping the household stable, free from homelessness, roommates do take their toll, three years in, too much drama. User needy folk mentality and biting the state hand, blame and cause huge amounts of unnecessary strife