County fair maintains 140 years of tradition

Felicia Frazar The Seguin Gazette

Soon, colorful twinkling lights will light up the night sky as the smell of funnel cakes and corndogs waft over the midway and the sounds of laughter from children and adults alike will fill the air.

It’s all in celebration of the 140th Guadalupe County Fair officially running from Oct. 12 to 15 at the Seguin Events Complex, 728 Midway. This year’s event will feature some long time mainstays as well as some new highlights, Guadalupe County Fair Association President Barbara Goode said.

Each year the Guadalupe County Fair Association puts on the county fair to help raise money to support children in agriculture, Goode said.

The association hands out scholarships each year to graduating seniors and put money toward Youth Show projects for those students who have volunteered, worked or participated in the fair in some way, Goode said.

They also offer the children the ability to show off their learned skills at many of the contest hosted through the event including in the Home Arts division.

“The County Fair helps youth in agriculture promote their projects that they’re focusing on during school,” she said. “We have a wide variety of photography to the old traditional stuff like the lost art of canning or displaying antiques. There is crafting, sewing arts; all of those deals are here so they can show off what they made this year and try to get a blue ribbon, red ribbon or a tri-color ribbon.”

Texas Pride Carnivals has started to set up its carnival full of rides, food, games and prizes.

“The carnival is bringing a circus event,” Goode said. “They’re bringing that back this year as part of the carnival.”

Vendors from all over will set up shop to sell their goods.

Event organizers are excited to bring bak Oktoberfest to the fair, Goode said. Taking the stage are Kenneht Kristvnik from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Pivo Polka from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, the Oompahs from 4 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Lederhosen Junkes on Sunday.

The main stage will feature Gordon Rockett and the Cavaliers from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Thursdsay, La Musica Live Variety Band from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday with Fast Moving Train taking stage right after from 9:30 p.m. to midnight.

On Saturday, Paul Sanchez and Wrangler Country will perform from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with Clay Hollis taking stage from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Gacho Sol will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, closing out the event.

“This year’s music line up we have two bands almost every night except for Thursday,” Goode said.

In the rodeo arena, cowboys from across the country will take their chance at the PRCA Rodeo on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which includes the introduction the Miss Rodeo Guadalupe County.

“This is the first qualifying rodeo of the 2024 season and our rodeo organizers have a new slogan of ‘The Gold Starts Here in Guadalupe County,’” Goode said.

The Cowboy Channel is broadcasting the rodeo live, which anyone can watch on the Cowboy Channel app, Goode said.

Prior to the PRCA rodeo on Saturday, the Guadalupe County Fair is hosting a new special event, Goode said.

“We have a new bull riding event on Saturday before the rodeo,” she said. “If you want to come down and watch, it’s a $20 entry. I think they have about 50 or so riders signed up.”

The Best Western Wear Roundup is set for 9 a.m. while the Fair Queens contest will take stage at 5:30 p.m. both in the coliseum.

The 41st Fiddlers Contest will kick off at 12:30 p.m.

The Guadalupe County Fair Parade will take off at 10 a.m. Friday and march down Austin Street from College Street to the Coliseum.

For a full schedule and list of events, visit gcfair.org .

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