Cottonwood’s Verde Valley Fair on Thursday, May 1, was packed with hundreds of visitors looking to take in the rides and the food at the fairgrounds. The Verde Valley Fair took place from Wednesday, April30, through Sunday, May 4, from 10a.m. until 10 p.m. each day. For some visitors, coming to the fair is a bit of a tradition; for others, it was more of a recent phenomenon.
“I come from a small town in Kentucky, so we kind of do this back home,” said Fernando Campoamor, a Camp Verde resident of three years who brought his family with him. “Small-town fair, the whole community comes together.” Campoamor said he and his son love the animals at the fair. There were plenty of opportunities at the event to see them, the petting zoo was one of the attractions for visitors. Campoamor said he was also impressed by the attendance at the fair, especially on a weekday, and that it showed the community truly does value the event not only for entertainment but also as a way to get together with people.
The fifty-nine vendors included 17 food vendors as well as photo booths, carnival games, rides and a shirt-dyeing station. Steven Randell, owner of Steve’s Smokin BBQ, has been coming to the fair for 24 years from Michigan, in part to get out of the cold, but also to bring his ribs and turkey legs to the residents of Cottonwood. He said business was proceeding as usual. “We love the area, we love the town, but we also love working for the management here,” Randell said. “They’re great people, they take care of us, they take care of our businesses and I think it’s part of the reason the fair sustains very well.”
Fair management said presale tickets had sold out as of May 1,and had counted 348 kids in attendance by Thursday morning.
