Goldendale Sentinel Editorial

Coming together for the county fair

     It’s Fair Time!
     Get out your cowboy hats and round up the kids – the time has arrived at last for back-to-back days of bull riding, barrel racing, and calf roping.
And not just that – there will be steer wrestling, bareback and saddle bronc riding, wild cow milking, team penning, pole bending, and branding.
     Exhibit halls, aside from cotton candy and corn dogs galore, will offer a taste of local sewing, crafts, photography, florals, fleece, and home-baked treats, as well as livestock viewing like beef and dairy cattle, dogs, rabbits, sheep, and horses.
     Grand marshalled by long-time cattlewoman Gayla Guenther, and heralded in by our glittery rodeo queen, Michelle Bradley, the fair is a time for everyone to come together and show folks what the town has to offer.
     Last year, organizers reported 955 passes sold and 2,846 in regular ticket sales. The event brought in more than $26,000 in general admissions alone. That is without the food, crafts, and booths.
     Business sales are sure to go up and coordinators estimate about 60 percent of all fair-goers come in from out of town and other parts of the county.
     In many ways, the timing could not be better to showcase the community.
     Apart from the weather cooling to comfortable 84 degrees, Goldendale has undergone a bit of a facelift in the last year.
     For those who may not have noticed, in that time, at least half a dozen businesses on Main Street have painted or remodeled, and in some cases it has been both.
     The senior center kicked off the trend with code upgrades and a new façade, and the pharmacy has an indoor expansion underway. Recent exhibits have given the art gallery added attention and, across the street, the artist’s studio put in a new awning. Next door, the burned out brick lot is under renovation, with a new restaurant on the way.
     Beyond that, the City has kept the street up with trees, flower pots, and trash receptacles.
     It is a great time for citizens, business owners, city employees, and local officials to celebrate this yearly event and focus on the thing that binds Goldendale residents together, which is a genuine caring for the community.
     Dr. Jim Ogden will once again offer a free radio dispatch taxi service out of his 1948 DeSoto Custom. A local church will offer a non-denominational cowboy service, cheerleaders will gather to fundraise, and the Department of Natural Resources will hand out free wildfire information.
     More than 100 spaces are available for camping (although most are already reserved - a good sign) and, just for fun, passersby can expect a small army of great people-watching.
     This weekend, while everybody is out enjoying the activities, let’s take a minute to give a nod to the downtown businesses for boosting the aesthetic, a wink to the City for the patient upkeep, and a reminder to each of our neighbors about why we live here in the first place.