TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
FERRIS WHEELS & FAMILY TRADITIONS B linking colored lights, the sounds of carnival rides, crowds, and rodeo announcers, and that strange mix of smells that includes fried corn dogs and funnel cakes, smoking meats and livestock…These are the sights, sounds, and smells ingrained into some of the most cherished childhood memories of Texarkana residents. They officially ignite our senses and remind us once again that it is time for the Four States Fair and Rodeo, and for some, its reappearance on each year’s calendar is eclipsed only by the return of Christmas and Santa Claus. This year’s 78th annual event began March 31 and will run until April 9, and children and adults alike have been waiting with excited anticipation. For one local family, the fair has been much more. It has become a legacy passed down from one generation to the next, morphing into a way of life for Lisa (Barr) Garner, who now acts as Executive Director. Garner’s grandmother, Betty Nix, spent 51 years working at the fair, followed by her mother, Danette Perkins, whose 38 year tenure inspired her own dedication. “My grandmother came to the Fair in 1971 to work part-time to assist her best friend, Marion Reed, who was General Manager,” said Garner. “She also had my grandfather, Bobby Nix, involved. He was an electrician with AA Electric, and they took over the electrical work on the fairgrounds. So, growing up, it was truly a family event.” From one family member to the next, the torch has been handed off proudly and accepted willingly, as if in natural evolution. “I love to tell the story that I came to help my grandma for a weekend event, answering the phones because their office manager had left unexpectedly, and 25 years later, I am the Executive Director.” After decades of involvement, one would assume Garner has developed favorite aspects of the fair’s festivities. “Goodness, that is like asking me which one of my kids is my favorite!” she jokingly confessed. While she loves watching the bull riding during the rodeo, riding the Ferris Wheel, and playing a little Skeeball, it is not easy for her to narrow it down. “If I had to pick one thing,” she decided, “I think it would be watching the kids showing their livestock and seeing them win their first ribbon on something they’ve entered into the fair.” As with everything, moving forward means adjustments are inevitable. “Things have changed so much over the years, even
Betty Nix and Lisa Garner
in my 25 years here,” said Garner. But when your family is so intertwined with the fair’s history, the changes that stand out most are about far more than the addition of an exciting ride or the subtraction of a favorite treat. These changes mark the handing down of a familial legacy that Garner now holds with pride. “While there are a lot of things I miss that traditionally took place during the fair, it really has so much history and tradition, and each year it takes me back to being a kid. Even though my grandma has retired from the fair, she comes out every year to ride around the midway and get a corn dog and funnel cake and visit with the vendors who have been here for many years. She is pretty much a staple part of the fair, and you cannot really mention the Four States Fair and not think of Betty Nix.” “My most vivid memory growing up is that my Papaw would always come to pick me up from school and drive me over to the fairgrounds in his electrical truck so we could watch them put together the Ferris wheel,” Garner remembered. “We lost him in 2006, but every year you will still find me sitting on the grounds watching them put up the Ferris wheel. I know when the lights come on, it is really fair time!”
38
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs