TEXARKANA, Ark. -- The Four States Fair and Rodeo will coincide with citywide celebrations of the solar eclipse, which provided a ray of inspiration.
Under the banner "A Fun Day's Night," the 79th annual carnival will be April 5-14 at Four States Fairgrounds. The theme evokes the famous Beatles song "A Hard Day's Night," but that's where the similarity stops.
"We are playing off what everyone else is -- the eclipse," said Lisa Garner, fairgrounds executive director.
Amusement Midway Providers is returning with the rides and other carnival fun, including Magic Money wristbands. The bands can be loaded with credits and use RFID technology to pay for rides and games on the midway.
Garner said fairgoers can expect a number of new food vendors, including locals Bre's Salad Hut, Julie's Deli and Los Ruvalcaba.
"I love having our local vendors here," she said.
Mississippi-based Egg Roll Love will be serving their hand-rolled fare, including a corned beef egg roll. Garner also is excited to have Pretzel Brothers, of Nevada City, California, and Hillbilly Shack, a Salem, Missouri, eatery that serves spaghetti grilled cheese sandwiches.
Entertainment is planned nightly, starting with a monster truck show and a performance by the U.S. Army Band on April 5.
On April 8, the day of the eclipse, the fair will open at 9 a.m., with the midway to follow at 10 a.m. The first 5,000 guests will receive free glasses to view the eclipse, which is expected reach totality about 1:48 p.m.
Garner said while there are no plans at the moment to do anything special during the eclipse -- such as temporarily closing the midway -- fairgoers who simply want to view the celestial event are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets. The fairgrounds can accommodate at least 15,000 people, so there should be room for sky-gazers, she said.
To prepare for the potential increase in guests this year, Four States Fair is collaborating with local enforcement, including school resource officers, to ensure a strong police presence on the fairgrounds and to devise an effective traffic flow plan.
The fair again is enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for any weapons and personal-protection devices, such as pepper spray.
"Leave the pocketknife in the car. You're not allowed to bring it in, and we're not going to watch it," Garner said.
Furthermore, children 15 and younger will not be admitted unless they are with a supervising adult, whom Garner said is someone who will accept responsibility for the child and his or her actions.
The age policy has worked well in the pas in reducing the number of "silly problems," Garner said.
"We're not trying to be difficult. We're trying to keep things safe for people coming into the fair," she said.
The Four States Fair and Rodeo began to be held in the spring in 2021, after the COVID pandemic shut down the festival in fall 2020. Garner has said the 2021 fair "was the most successful event ever."
Then came 2023.
Compared to 2022, the 78th Four States Fair and Rodeo last year saw a 20% drop in revenue, Garner said, citing the persistent wet and stormy weather for the drop. For example, the fair was closed one day last year, so ticketholders on that day were allowed admission on the following day -- a hit to new admissions revenue, Garner said.
Any drop in fair revenue can be a challenge, considering the annual festival makes up the lion's share of the fairgrounds budget, according to Garner. To supplement its income, the fair hosts other events through the year, such as the Senior World Barrel Race that is taking place through Sunday.
On average, the Four States Fair spends up to $3,500 a day on normal operations. Last year, it spent an additional $385,000 on fairgrounds improvements.
Garner, who has been with the Four States Fair for nearly 26 years, says each event is like a family reunion. When it comes to what the fair offers, it's difficult for her to name her favorites.
"That's like asking me which one of my babies is the prettiest," she said.
The 79th annual Four States Fair and Rodeo is being presented by Farmers Bank & Trust and Texarkana Emergency Center. Advance tickets, which are on sale now, are $10 per adult and $5 per child.
For information, visit the Four States Fair's Facebook page or go to fourstatesfair.com.