Cottonwood may be a small town, but you could see almost every member of it, as well as those coming from all over the Verde Valley and beyond, at the Verde Valley Fair, held on the fairgrounds off South 12th Street from May 1 through 5, filled up with revelers.
The parking lot was crowded as cars were directed through the open dirt field by the Mingus wrestling team. The alleyways between food vendors and sideshows were packed as families and fun-lovers spent Wednesday through Sunday taking part in all the event had to offer.
“It’s a party, It’s great, It’s amazing,” VVF Director Coleen Gilboy said. “We work all year on it, so I wish it could go on longer.”
French fries were served in huge bricks, smothered in cheese and chili, alongside pulled pork emerging from a grill that bellowed smoke above the festivities. Anything that you could imagine deep fried probably was, from expected fair food like funnel cakes and cheese curds to somewhat more adventurous delicacies like deep fried Oreos or avocado bites to the truly unique such as deep fried Twinkies. Lemonade ran a similar gamut, ranging from plain or strawberry flavored to unexpected infusions like blueberry or cherry.
The rides provided a similar scale of variety from the Zipper, which flipped its riders upside down in a massive loop and then flipped them a second time in their own little seating chambers, to the Wacky Shack that allowed youngsters to navigate a topsy-turvy obstacle course featuring a slide and a rotating tunnel to a disco soundtrack. If you wanted to be spun around, you could do so in swings, airplanes, dragons, elephants, cars, motorcycles, a carousel or just on your own in the Zero Gravity ride, which pushed its participants on to the back walls through centrifugal force. A tall Ferris wheel took riders high up above the festivities, allowing them to see Mingus Mountain in the distance from the breezy peak.
But for many, the real highlight of the fair came in one part that truly showed off the community of the Verde Valley — the livestock that was shown and judged before being sold at the crowded auction on Saturday. Kids led steers as high as their ears and pigs that would make any farmer proud. Dressed in their country finest, the kids drudged through the dirt and mud with the animals they had worked hard to tend to, looking proud and stately. Their animal compatriots looked stately as well, even if they occasionally let off a moo or oink, not realizing the importance of the occasion.
“It teaches them a lot and it’s more than just the animals,” Steve Drake, a Cottonwood resident, said of the children at the livestock show. “It’s teaching them responsibility, to wake up early and tend to the animal and make sure the health and well being of the animal is taken care of. That’s what amazes me.”
In addition to the large stock, a separate barn held small stock raised by Oak Creek Organized Youth, featuring rabbits, chickens, turkeys and pheasants. In the evenings, fairgoers were treated to a small rodeo, featuring the usual bull-riding, barrel racing and steer roping. In the makeshift arena at the corner of the fair. Animals and riders would be released to a loud roar from the stands, followed by another one a few seconds later.
Beyond the farm animals, the fair for the first time held a tent full of animals that were far from native to Arizona. Walk on the Wild Side, a conservation nonprofit in Portland, Ore., brought a showcase of wild beasts from all over the globe to the fair. A Canadian lynx named Patron jumped around his cage, his crib and his scratching post, resembling nothing more than a frisky housecat, except one that was three times the size and could probably kill you. A binturong, a “bear cat” native to Southeast Asia, lounged on a hammock, while an attendant bottle-fed a baby wallaby just 10 days out of the pouch.
But the main attraction of the wild animal exhibit was the massive Siberian tiger named Malia. She rested in her cage like a queen, occasionally loosing a yawn that reminded the onlookers that she could probably crush their heads with the massive teeth set in her powerful jaw.
“I think they’re beautiful. I’ve always wanted one,” said Stachia Noling, a recent Cottonwood resident watching Malia.
“Well, you’ve got to give her 20 pounds of meat a day,” laughed the attendant.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted one, just to see what it was like,” Noling said.
Elsewhere, the fair featured even more of the minor attractions of any good carnival. Carnies encouraged anyone passing to step right up and pop a balloon or shoot a target or throw a ball at some blocks, all for the chance to win an oversized stuffed animals. Artists offered caricatures or face painting, alongside photo booths.
In addition to the fair attractions brought in from elsewhere, the event featured as well some things that made it feel unique to the Verde Valley. In the evenings, local musicians performed on stage, as did the Mingus High School Jazz & Rock Band Thursday morning. In a large building, magnificent colorful quilts hung alongside photography and paintings of the red rocks of Sedona, rodeo scenes and just friends of the local artists, from both children at the valley’s high schools and adults.
“I love the fair,” said Chanel Lawler, a Cottonwood resident there with her children. Coco, her daughter, had trouble coming up with a favorite part.
“The rides or the food or the rodeo or the animals,” the indecisive youngster said. She had even more trouble thinking of any part she disliked.
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551 or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
