63rd annual salute to dairy industry starts Friday

• 2023 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen Caroline Prickette introduces the 2024 pageant contestants Libby Negrete Alaina Johnson, Zoe Reed, Valerie Flecker, Kolbi McCoy, (seated) Sedona McCollom, Aspen Mayhew, Bryana Ruiz and Coryn Young. Staff Photo by Faith Huffman

The 63rd annual Hopkins Counthy Dairy Festival is just around the corner. To build excitement 2023 Dairy Festival Queen Caroline Prickette spent an evening 'At the MOO-seum,' Southwest Dairy Museum, meeting the 2024 Dairy Festival Coronation Pageant contestants for a photo shoot.

As is tradition, the queen and her parents will host a dinner for the new queen candidates and HCDF Board shortly before the Dairy Festival to get to know them a little bit better, and share tips and information they will need to know to prepare for the annual festival and pageant.

The 2024 Dairy Festival will officially kick off Friday, June 7, at noon with an opening ceremony/ ribbon cutting on Celebration Plaza. The community is invited to stop by, get to know the girls, and find out how they can volunteer to help during the Dairy Festival. An annual favorite, the Hot Air Balloon Rally and Flight will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and 5:30 a.m. Saturday, weather permitting, on the grounds behind Shannon Oaks Church. Community members are invited to stop by to see the balloons lift up and glow in the night sky. The number of balloons is as varied as the pilots, who enjoy sharing about their balloons. The ribbon cutting and balloon rally captains are David and Pam Black. To volunteer at the Hot Air Balloon Rally and Glow, contact David Black at 438-4384. The queen, contestants, pilots and community members will meet up Saturday morning, June 8, to participate in the Dairy Festival Parade, which departs from Buford Park with WC Pryor as parade marshal at 10 a.m.. The parade will continue down Connally Street to the square, then follow Gilmer Street to Brookshire's. For more information about the parade, contact David Watson.

While that's going on, many local youth will begin gathering at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center for the Junior Dairy Show, coordinatored by Amy Bowen, and slated to start at 9 a.m.

The pageant contestants and their parents will participate in a Milking Contest, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in the Civic Center Arena. Several of the balloonists from the Hot Air Balloon Rally and Glow will also test their milking abilities. HCDF Board President Carolyn McKinney coordinates the miling contest.

The pilots and contestants will take a break before returning to Shannon Oaks Church Saturday night, June 8, for another Rally and Glow from 6 to 9 p.m. Pageant contestants will serve as crew, helping the pilots set up their balloons.

On Wednesday, June 12, the young and young at heart are invited to the Civic Center grounds to for rides, food and fun. The carnival will remain in town from June 12-15. Jack Crouch is coordinating this year's event.

After a week of practices, the nine contestants will compete for the title of 2024 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen at the Coronation Pageant, which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 15, in SSHS Auditorium. Pageant tckets are $10 in advance from any pageant contestant or $15 at the door.

Each contestant is tasked with selling a certain number of tickets, and the girl selling the most tickets will be recognized during the pageant. Funds raised will go toward putting on the pageant and Dairy Festival and scholarships for the queen and first couple of runners-up.

The pageant is coordinated by Brooke Howard and Cindy Lancaster. Contestants are Valerie Flecker, Kolbi McCoy, Zoe Reed, Alaina Johnson, Libby Negrete, Coryn Young, Bryana Ruiz, Sedona McCollom and Aspen Mayhew.