On November 4 and 5, 1938, the Ridgeway School held a school carnival and fair. This school fair was very similar to the county fairs: students entered exhibits for agricultural products such as corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and other row crops as well as fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Ernest Flucke oversaw the agricultural exhibits as the vocational agriculture instructor.
Home economics students also submitted entries for cakes, candies, canned fruit and vegetables and butter as well as rugs, quilts and fancy work. Mrs. Stanley Gex was the home economics teacher and was responsible for these exhibits.
There was a lot of entertainment available to fair attendees: bingo, music, minstrels, games and side shows as well as concessions. On Friday evening, attendees enjoyed a program of music, plays and singing and “various other amusing and entertaining features”. The main program on Saturday was an “amateur contest” in which any school or community could participate. Prizes were given out for first, second and third place to winners who had been selected by the audience. (Ridgeway Journal, Oct 27, 1938)
The fair was considered a success despite the unfavorable weather that occurred those two days. The crowd was small on Friday, but a good-sized crowd arrived Saturday evening to enjoy the program and see the exhibits. Delores Hendren won first prize of $1 in the amateur contest with her solo “Says My Heart”. There were 22 agricultural exhibitors and $13 was paid out in prizes. Proceeds from the carnival went to the athletic fund to buy equipment and help pay travel expenses for the teams. (Ridgeway Journal, Nov 3, 1938).
