Country singer Carroll closes Interstate Fair
By RACHEL LANE, rlane@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
MINERAL WELLS - The West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition ended its five-day run Saturday with truck pulls and country songs from national country star Jason Michael Carroll.
About 39,500 people were estimated to have attended the festival this year to enjoy new agricultural barns, new pathways, mud bogs, music, games, rides, food and sunshine. Fair board president Mike Zoller said no problems were reported throughout the event.
"I enjoy watching people leave happy... There have been a lot of smiles on a lot of faces," he said.
Zoller said the musical entertainment was a little difficult to organize this year because the fair's dates fall in the middle of a large music festival in Wisconsin.
"With gas prices up, everyone's trying to schedule their performances tight... so they use as little gasoline as possible," Zoller said.
Harold Taylor, entertainment chairperson for the fair, said offers were made to about 20 bands in September. The groups that performed this week were the first groups to agree to the offers. The music this year was country, he said.
"We try something different every year... Country seems to be the most popular," Taylor said.
About 600 people were estimated to watch Carroll perform for over an hour Saturday evening. On Friday evening, country singer Heidi Newfield performed for over an hour, then signed autographs for over an hour, said Cindy Taylor, a fair volunteer.
"Heidi put on a great show," Zoller said.
At the other end of the fairgrounds, a different type of show occurred in the track area.
"I just came to watch the big trucks pull," said Stephen Jones of Mineral Wells. "I brought my son (Jimmy, 5) and he's liking it so far."
Jones said it was the first time his son was going to get to stay at the fair until the semi cabs pulled. The family also attended the mud bogs on Thursday evening.
"My wife and daughter were at the mud bogs. They like watching the trucks make it to the end," he said. "The queen (West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition Queen Kristian Snider) rode in one of the trucks and the kids loved that."
Tarah Stone, of Parkersburg, said she watched some of the singing and some of the truck pull.
"The South (of the River) Band was pretty good. It's a group of high school students attending Parkersburg South," Stone said. "I love Jason Michael Carroll. He's just got some of the best stuff. And he's just runs all over the stage."
Stone said she watched the truck pulling between the concerts.
