COLUMBIA COUNTY FAIR, DAY TWO

Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News

09-02-10 - DAILY DISPATCHES FROM THE FAIR...

While horses no longer play the prominent role in the Columbia County Fair that they once did with harness racing a large draw in years past and the horse barns and track long gone, horses still have a prominent place in this year's fair.

Thursday morning saw a horse riding competition just off the parking lot with teen and pre-teen girls showing their skills atop horses. A few hundred feet away inside the southern gates of the fair, much larger horses continued to show their drawing power. Budweiser's famed Clydesdale Horses continued to be a popular stop for fairgoers of all ages. After hearing many people ask directions to the draft horses on Wednesday and witnessing the crowds on Thursday, there is no doubt that the Clydesdales are a hit. Village residents and others planning to watch the Fireman’s Parade on Saturday should keep an eye out for them in the parade.

In other fair news, the rabbits, poultry and other furry critters on display survived the horrendous heat and humidity of Thursday with a lot of help from their friends. Fans were on extra-high and some children even placed backs of ice in the cages, which at least long-eared furry creature turned into bedding, laying on top of it as temperatures likely topped the century mark in the building.

The final night of the demolition derby drew a huge crowd, with the grandstands filled to capacity an hour before the 6:30 p.m. start of the derby and in a good note for vendors, the crowds stayed well past the end of the derby. A steady stream of bumper to bumper cars and pedestrians were seen exiting the fairgrounds at midnight.