Shootin' the Breeze: People said it couldn’t be done; they did it anyway

I’m going to date myself a little with a story I have to share about the Perkins County Fair. I don’t recall exactly how old I was, but I’m guessing somewhere around the age of 10.

It was back in the days when the Perkins County Fair still brought entertainers, primarily country acts, to perform at the fair. Looking back in old files of the Tribune, I confirmed they were still doing so in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (See, I told you I was going to date myself.)

For some unknown reason, I had an album of one of the performers that was going to be at the fair. 

I remember clutching on to that album that night, making sure I didn’t drop it under the grandstand. 

After the show was over, I made my way to the concrete stage that stood in front of the grandstand for years. 

I was so thrilled when I got my album signed. That was a pretty big deal in my eyes. 

It’s interesting I can recall that but can’t remember who the performer was. 

That brings me to Saturday night when a new generation of fair board memories created memories of a night and a fair soon not be forgotten in Perkins County Fair lore. 

Members of the Perkins County fair board took a giant leap of faith two years ago when they made the commitment to book Sawyer Brown for a concert during the 2020 fair. 

Then COVID-19 hit. The concert, along with many summer activities across the area, state and country, got called off and nobody knew what another year might bring. 

Despite the scare and uncertainty from COVID-19, the board remained committed and re-booked the band for this year’s fair. 

People had their doubts that Perkins County could pull off such a feat. I’m sure fair board members had their stomachs in their throats many times since then, wondering the same thing. 

Saturday night, the fair board set a new standard for what the fair can accomplish. The event far exceeded their own expectations. They were hoping for maybe 600-700 people. In the end, the count stood at more than 1,200. Not bad at all for their first attempt. 

Fair board members are quick to thank the many sponsors who stepped up financially and all the volunteers who pitched in to make the inaugural event such a big success.

Fair-goers can already look forward to next year’s concert with the board announcing they have already booked long-time country favorite BlackHawk. 

Kudos to the board for stepping out and stepping up to create a new chapter for the Perkins County Fair.