"This the way you walk down the runway," explains Patricia Chase, to Dairy Festival Candidate
Hayley Reynolds, at Monday night's practice, while other candidates look-on.

Set Design and Rehearsals Begin
For Dairy Festival

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Hours of rehearsals, set design, and staging are required for the Hopkins County Dairy Festival Pageant that will unfold on Saturday night, in the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.  Rehearsals began on Monday night, as the first of the nine candidates got their introduction to the stage and worked with lighting and sound crews. "It's just an opportunity for the candidates to be introduced to the routine of the pageant and for everyone to begin working on the final product," explained Patricia Chase, President of the Dairy Festival Board. "We go through the motions with the girls, making certain that they have their scripts in order, so that we can write the master script and then we introduce them to the sound and lighting technicians that offer their own advise for their talent performances!"

 

Patricia Chase explains another point of interest to Dairy Festival candidates, on Monday night.

 

"I had no idea that so much rehearsal time went into the show," expressed one of the mothers of the contestants. "I had no idea the number hours that Dairy Festival Board members spent on staging, practices, and getting everything ready for the pageant!"

Monday night found board members installing the runway and other staging "giants" that are stored throughout the year and brought out for the pageant. "We keep this stuff stored in trailers and in off-site locations during the year and bring it back to the Civic Center each year, for the pageant," advised longtime board member, Bruce Fielden. "I really can't remember how many years I've been doing this. I do know that the Chamber of Commerce Office was located downtown, when I first became involved with the board! So, that has to be 35 or 40 years!"

 

Dairy Festival Board members and help began installing the structures that will convert the Civic Center
stage to a pageant format, for Saturday night.

 

"I began on the board in 1965," exclaimed Lynda Hager. "I had been involved with building Mother's Club floats and they asked me to be a board member, and I've been involved ever since!"

 

 

The Hopkins County Dairy Festival began in 1959 and has seen numerous changes through the years, as events have been added, dropped, and re-organized. "Those original board members wouldn't hardly know the festival today, with hot air balloons, cow milking contests, and other additions," advised Hager. "But, our main focus has always been to honor the dairy farm families of Hopkins County and to provide opportunities for the girls who sought to be honored with the title of Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen!"

 

Candidate #1, Cecily Adams works on her talent segment.

 

Candidate #2, Baleigh Butler perfects her song presentation for Saturday
night's performance.

 

 

Those girls, seeking the title began on stage Monday night, and began rehearsing their talent portion of the pageant and contest. There were skits, dancers, and singers, that began working on their presentations for Saturday night's big show, and the talent exhibited promises for a very entertaining evening for everyone on Saturday night. Dairy Festival candidates are still selling tickets to Saturday night's performance, so contact them for your needs.

 

Candidate #3, Alyssa Burney checks the sound and begins her number on the trumpet.

Candidate #4, works on her number about a "Pink Cadillac!"

 

"We have a very talented group of young ladies this year and have a wonderful show planned for Saturday night," advised Chase. "We're looking forward to pefecting it each night this week and unveiling it for the public on Saturday night!"

And, complete with her own "Hostein" travel bag, Dairy Festival Queen
Sarah Yosten works on her presentation for Saturday night's performance.

 

Meanwhile, Dairy Festival Board members were checking lighting and moving equipment
into place.

And, the sound crew was making certain that everything was in perfect order.

 

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