(Aug. 11, 2016) While it wasn’t the summer knockout event of the season, neither was it a ghost town, as the Great Pocomoke Fair of 2016 enters the history books walking tall on the straight and narrow.
“Attendance was about average,” organizer Gloria Smith said. “Thursday and Friday had the better weather — we didn’t get rain, but it wasn’t too hot either. We had a good crowd for the pageants.”
Jahniah Johnson of Crisfield was crowned Junior Miss Pocomoke Fair 2016, and Amelia Webster of Pocomoke was crowned Little Miss Pocomoke Fair 2016.
Also on Friday was the first hobby horse race at the fair. Smith said the idea came from a convention she attended, and the demonstration was fairly elaborate. This year, the fair debuted a stripped-down version and invited elected officials to participate.
“We had two heats on Friday night. The first was the mayor and Town Council members. The second heat included Sen. Jim Mathias, Del. Charles Otto and a horse from County Commissioner Merrill Lockfaw,” Smith said. “In the final race, Mayor Bruce Morrison won, Councilman Dale Trotter came in second, and Commissioner Lockfaw’s horse was third. They all had fun.”
Smith said the fair will promote the hobbyhorse racing event more next year.
Saturday’s weather reached into the 90s, but did little to dampen spirits, as harness racing, the antique tractor pull and greased pig contest took place, while the fireworks display tied the event up in a bow until next year.
“It was hotter on Saturday,” she said. “But we’ve had years where the heat index was 105, so it could have been hotter.”
Smith said the horse racing was busier than it had been in past years, though the event does seem to struggle to find an audience outside of enthusiasts because the fair doesn’t allow betting.
However, the racers themselves seem to prefer it this way.
“It’s a good family-oriented event, not a competition — which is something you don’t get anywhere. There’s no pressure,” racer Mark Shahan Jr. said.
Smith said there were 13 races Saturday afternoon at the fairgrounds, and the cake and pie auction, which took place between the races, did well.
Against the backdrop of the racing was the children’s greased pig contest, where dozens of children competed, in age-delineated brackets, for a cash prize of $50 to catch and hold the rear legs of a fugitive swine.
While the pack of participants ran around with grease-covered fingers, the real winner seemed to be the pig, who would emerge almost effortlessly, time and again, as the kids fought for traction and to a degree, each other, for the prize.
Later on Saturday was the antique tractor pull, which garnered fewer participants than in previous years, Smith said. “But these are family men who put this together, and some of the participants traveled far to get here.”
Smith said she would like to thank everyone who helped put the event together and made it run smoothly, but most of all, “I’d just like to thank everyone who came.”
“Attendance was about average,” organizer Gloria Smith said. “Thursday and Friday had the better weather — we didn’t get rain, but it wasn’t too hot either. We had a good crowd for the pageants.”
Jahniah Johnson of Crisfield was crowned Junior Miss Pocomoke Fair 2016, and Amelia Webster of Pocomoke was crowned Little Miss Pocomoke Fair 2016.
Also on Friday was the first hobby horse race at the fair. Smith said the idea came from a convention she attended, and the demonstration was fairly elaborate. This year, the fair debuted a stripped-down version and invited elected officials to participate.
“We had two heats on Friday night. The first was the mayor and Town Council members. The second heat included Sen. Jim Mathias, Del. Charles Otto and a horse from County Commissioner Merrill Lockfaw,” Smith said. “In the final race, Mayor Bruce Morrison won, Councilman Dale Trotter came in second, and Commissioner Lockfaw’s horse was third. They all had fun.”
Smith said the fair will promote the hobbyhorse racing event more next year.
Saturday’s weather reached into the 90s, but did little to dampen spirits, as harness racing, the antique tractor pull and greased pig contest took place, while the fireworks display tied the event up in a bow until next year.
“It was hotter on Saturday,” she said. “But we’ve had years where the heat index was 105, so it could have been hotter.”
Smith said the horse racing was busier than it had been in past years, though the event does seem to struggle to find an audience outside of enthusiasts because the fair doesn’t allow betting.
However, the racers themselves seem to prefer it this way.
“It’s a good family-oriented event, not a competition — which is something you don’t get anywhere. There’s no pressure,” racer Mark Shahan Jr. said.
Smith said there were 13 races Saturday afternoon at the fairgrounds, and the cake and pie auction, which took place between the races, did well.
Against the backdrop of the racing was the children’s greased pig contest, where dozens of children competed, in age-delineated brackets, for a cash prize of $50 to catch and hold the rear legs of a fugitive swine.
While the pack of participants ran around with grease-covered fingers, the real winner seemed to be the pig, who would emerge almost effortlessly, time and again, as the kids fought for traction and to a degree, each other, for the prize.
Later on Saturday was the antique tractor pull, which garnered fewer participants than in previous years, Smith said. “But these are family men who put this together, and some of the participants traveled far to get here.”
Smith said she would like to thank everyone who helped put the event together and made it run smoothly, but most of all, “I’d just like to thank everyone who came.”