Cullen Baker Fair Update

As tradition has dictated, Bloomburg’s ‘Country Store’ at the Cullen Baker Fair, Nov. 5 of this year, will be no slouch, either. Already, a stockpile of people-donated goods has filled one side of the main room in City Hall.

This will be the 47th year for the store at the fair. Or is it 48? The Country Store is one event that is forever attached to the fair. If there has been 47 fairs, there were also 47 Country Stores.

Add to that the toys a portable piano, wreaths and pictures, a small Christmas tree, a brand new crocheted Ada Dorrice baby blanket, a car care kit, bird houses, clock and huggable unicorns.

You name it and, before collection time is over, it will probably be on display in City Hall till the day it’s moved to the Bloomburg Community Center to be available for the shopping crowd that’s expected on CB Day.

Additionally, this year, The Country Store will also have raffle tickets, fried pies, money prize tickets, the quilts to be given away and Cullen Baker shirts. Of course, it’s a COUNTRY store so prices for donated goods will be cheap.

And you’ll be surprised what useful things you’ll find and that’s why we can classify it as a Country Store. People are notorious about buying goods, then figuring out later they’ll never use them. Donating to the Country Store is an honorable pastime right now. And, yes, it’s true one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and vice versa.

No kidding, through the years people have remodeled their homes with goods found at The Country Store. Wall decorations are usually offered in abundance. Also, many are the seamstresses who found their weight in scraps in the annual Country Store. And delicious are the canned jellies found there. You can pretty much find yourself surprised at what you find.

This year The Country Store will once again be run by Martha Huddleston, with the assistance of Janice Hodges. It will open the day of the fair at 8 a.m. If you can’t find The Community Center, where the action is to be located, just follow the smell. There are to be fried pies cooking out front. A couple high school students will be on hand inside the building to play fun and games about the town of Bloomburg. Plus, you can eat your fried pies inside the community center building.

This year’s Country Store is a going concern. Be there at 8 a.m. Just follow the crowd there has always been a big one standing and wait- ing when the store opens and this year the smell of fried pies cooking should add to the atmosphere.

If you’re over 60, at first it seems like a mumble jumble of iPhone language and Middle Agers pressed for time while all play to a noisy backdrop of kids having a big party as the sun sets low in a Bloomburg sky.

But look closely and you’ll see a plan forming. It started the first time this committee met. And it continues to unfold revealing each time the tightened nitty gritty groundwork comes together for the Cullen Baker Fair in November.

I signed on as a publicity person but often I don’t feel too needed. With their iPhones nearby, the neat notes they take and, well, let’s face it the excellent memory of post teens not yet senior citizens...this accomplished group has rescued a sinking ship. The Cullen Baker Fair and made it an event to top all events here in East Texas. Last night our leader had laryngitis so we all spoke our piece in round table fashion.

Will we have a car show? Where will it be? What about the Exxon parking lot? Oh that’s too small. It’s been at the school before. But it was away from the other parts of the fair. Why not have a motorcycle show? No, a car show is enjoyed more. Then as the dust settles, the car show is on at the school and it’s in the revolving door by-laws.

38 booths have signed up. More are wanted. Never mind that there were only 20 at the very first Cullen Baker Fair in 1974. The sped up communication points out the application forms still at City Hall. And booth requests will be taken till the day the fair opens. Come one; come all. We can handle 100. Even more. Our leader, Delores, constantly maps out the downtown area available. 60 CB Fair shirts have sold.

Children are wanted at this fair. Bouncy house, face painting and trailing along after parents. There will be adults at the bouncy house to keep some semblance of kid order. Of course, the kids often like to study the jewelry and run in and out of the ‘Country Store.’ And they will love The Color Run and fried pies.

Don’t depend ONLY on one worn out person to pick up trash. Come on, people. If you see those cans about to overflow... HELP! Empty the trash yourself. Don’t dare let it touch the ground...like was done in the early years of the fair. Keep Texas clean for Pete’s sake!

Tim is working on the music. Line Creek Revival. Lane Bricker. Chip Bricker and more. The stage needs fixing and Tim will do even that. Also, he will emcee at the Street Dance and even man the equipment. Besides that, he is hosting a dance at the community center for Saturday night. And it’s all donated effort.

Tickets are selling well. So will the history book. Electricity is there for all who need it. An old Cullen Baker banner has been found. It will be refurbished. Sno cones. Cotton candy. Perhaps a silent auction. 8 have signed up for the Little Mr. and Miss Pageant.

Karaoke for anyone who wants to do it. The fire department will mann a first aid station. And there is always the entertainment of The Country Store.

The Cullen Baker Fair Committee is open to all who care to participate. It is quite the experience. Anybody can come and present their ideas. And they do. It’s a study in freedom of expression. Any American boardroom could loosen up and take a lesson here.

YOU matter greatly in the effort to get the Cullen Baker Fair cranked back up. In fact, it couldn’t be done without you. Volunteerism is alive and well in this small town.

Are you interested in the Little Mr. and Miss Cullen Baker pageant this year?

If so, the person to see... Niccqueta Varmall. She is the Pageant Director for this pageant with a Western theme. Pageants and poise are not new to her.

She owns a business that supports beauty, etiquette and poise for young men and women. The name of it is The Swann School of Protocol serving the Ark-LaTex.

Niccqueta’s phone number is 870-899-4490. You can call her and get more information about the Little Mr. and Miss Cullen Baker pageant.

Also, if you want your child to enter, you can go to Bloomburg’s City Hall and get an application form to fill out. They are open daily 9 am till 12 noon. Or you can e-mail the director at cullenbakerdays@gmail. com. Also, you can go to this Facebook page: Cullen Baker Country Fair Western Pageant. The pageant is scheduled for October 29 in Bloomburg’s Community Center.