Our Story
BOSQUE FARMS FAIR
The Bosque Farms Fair was first organized as an off-shoot of the Bosque Farms Extension Club which was organized in 1936 with Grandma Howard as the first president and 100% of the membership of all the women living in Bosque Farms. Chester Carpenter was chairman, assisted by Mrs. The “Fair” was to be a community get-together and a picnic. The refreshment stand was s
ponsored by the Extension Club and the proceeds were used as cash prizes for the children’s races. There were various races for all ages. The most exciting seemed to be the toad races. The women had a rolling pin throwing contest and a nail driving contest among others. As time went on, the interest grew in exhibits such as, sewing, cooking, canning, and produce. Many outdoor exhibits were started, livestock showing, horse racing, and rodeo events. The big new adobe school was used for the inside exhibits. The school grounds were used for the outside events. Lunch was to be a ‘basket lunch’ where every family brought food enough for their family, and then at noon it was all spread out together and everyone enjoyed a huge, delightful lunch. The Fair was almost always topped off with an “Elton Travis” country dance. Soon the men of the community would build chutes and catch pens for the rodeo events on the school grounds. Over the years more and more events were added to the fair, more horsemanship and cattle showing, greased pig race, husband and wife rodeo events. The lunch was changed to free drinks and free fried chicken and everyone brought the rest of the foods. Dish Nobel was the ‘chicken-cooker’ for many years. In 1953, since the men were already doing the outside events for the fair, they formed the Bosque Farms Rodeo Association and each year joined with the Fair Board to put on the Fair and the Rodeo. The Fair was always well attended in the early years, but in 1964 which was the 25th Anniversary of the Fair, Governor Jack Campbell, Representative Joseph Montoya and Senator Edwin L. Mitcham attended the fair where it was estimated 2000 people attended. BC Ringer, local businessman, donated a large 25th Anniversary cake to go along with the 275 chickens that were fried in the big iron drums! By 1967, the Rodeo Association purchased some property off the North Loop and built an arena with all the trimmings and a large building which the fair board could use for the Fairs. Many new events were added in both the inside and the outside, the lunches changed to food vendors. A large percentage of the population of Bosque Farms has served on the Fair Board and in the Rodeo Association. We have the NM State Fair and there are County Fairs all across the state, but, BOSQUE FARMS FAIR is the only “Community” Fair that we could find record of. So let’s keep it going and growing. We challenge all the old timers and especially the newer population to come out, participate in the exhibits and events as they can and let’s make it a “Community – Better Together” this year!
