Local County Fair just ain't what she used to be!

Wow, June sees the Taney County Fair – a multi day extravaganza of rides, animals, food and vendors! Who wants to go? Well, not me for one. And why would that be, you might ask? One word. Location!

Fair grounds behind storage units..

This year the Taney County Fair will once again be located at the 'official' site located off Highway 76 and Corner Stone Drive, out behind the Tri-Sons Storage units just to the south east of Forsyth Missouri. For years it was located at the scenic Shadowrock Park location. A location that has high visibility, good parking and even a river! That location was very popular and the crowds that attended were decent. And, you know what. I have a problem getting over this change of venue. Here are some reasons;

1. Visibility – The new site is stuck out behind a development, so it's out of sight from local traffic, even when it's running full throttle. The old site could be easily seen by traffic on either Hwy 160 or 76 and no doubt caught the eye of more than one person who had not intended to stop.
2. Security – The parking area at the new location is dirty and dark. The perfect sort of environment for crooks to roam freely. The old location had parking where there was almost constant traffic with lots of lights. I always felt quite safe.
3. Bandstand – None at the new location aka Shoals Bend.
4. Lighting – While the main event area is well lit due to all the rides, it gets a bit dark if you wander off too far. Shadowrock also has some darker areas, with the difference being that there are usually tons of campers and RV's milling about.
5. Access – While both areas can easily be accessed, traffic at Shoals Bend has to pass closely by a development of homes. I'm sure the people that live there don't appreciate it either.

OK, I'll admit that some of my reasons are a bit flimsy. But, doggone it, I did really like the old location and still cannot get it in my head as to why Shadowrock Park can't also be used in those years when the Corps of Engineers isn't busy flooding the entire area.