Branch County Fair continues through Saturday: 4-H king and queen named
Branch County Fair week has arrived, and for those immersed in the world of 4-H, it already has been busy.
For everyone else, there is food, merchant barns, and amphitheater events each night. Rides open Tuesday in time for "Kids Day." Veteran's Day is Wednesday and Senior Citizen's Day is Thursday.
Reigning over the week will be 2022 4-H king and queen Jacob Reif and Carleigh Crouch, who were crowned Sunday evening.
On Saturday, they rode in the annual fair parade through downtown Coldwater as royalty candidates, along with Jackson Preston, Chase Rubley, Alice Hughes and Annabelle Kling.
The parade was led by the Coldwater High School marching band. Family and friends lined the sidewalk and many 4-H clubs represented their group with a float according to the theme, “Into the Future.”
Longtime fair supporters Albert Russell and Ed Mercer served as grand marshals for the parade and will be honored throughout the week.
Sunday
On Sunday, gates opened to the public. Some food stands were open and some of the merchants were set up in the barns.
At Dearth Community Center, Joe Renshaw hosted an annual afternoon concert with The Gospel Barn Band and Rugged Cross Quartet.
After the 7 p.m. crowning ceremony, the community gathered to thank Janice Murphy, a Coldwater native, for her years of service as fair manager.
Her greatest challenge through the years was "keeping everyone working together and making sure it got done,” Murphy said. “Every year has its own little story.”
Now, she is enjoying the fair like everyone else.
“You know what was neat about today?" she asked Sunday. "I got to go watch my great-grandson show."
In the past, a family member would call to say her grandchild was going to show in 10 minutes. Murphy tried to get there, but usually was stopped by people who had questions or situations only she could handle.
“And this morning I was able to watch to watch my grandson in the tractor pulls,” Murphy said. “I get to see the fair.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: 2022 Branch County 4-H king and queen named for fair this week
