An extremely popular attraction at the 2022 West Kentucky State Fair, helicopter rides could be coming to the 2022 Trigg County Country Ham Festival.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Ham Festival committee members discussed the feasibility of such an attraction for Cadiz this fall.
City Clerk Barbie Johnson said from a financial standpoint, it could make some sense, and that Mayor Todd King is likely going to seek some options.
Johnson said that if a service is contracted, there will still need to be enough space to prepare for a Friday night or Saturday night concert at the West Cadiz Park. And there are other locations in and around Cadiz — like the parking lots of the Trigg County School district, or the Fire Department on Main Street — that could work.
In other Ham Festival news:
— Heather Reddick said she talked with five different T-shirt contractors, and came away with one quote from Hurricane Creek Traditions in Cadiz. Since this year’s T-shirt has a few more colors, the printing cost will be $8.50 per unit no matter the size, and the committee unanimously approved to sell them for $15 apiece, regardless of size.
Reddick, Johnson and County Treasurer Lucy Oliver Kyler conveyed the T-shirts would, once again, be high-quality material and multi-colored, and that a flat-line price would be easier to manage and fairer to the public.
— Johnson said that officials from Pennyrile Allied Community Services have notified the city that they cannot provide buses and drivers for this year’s shuttles, and likely won’t be able to offer the service again until 2025-26, or later. Because of this, Johnson said several solutions may have to come about. One idea tossed around: the use of Trigg County Schools transportation, on a request to district officials. Nothing is set in stone.
— Solicitations are going out from the committee, and those interested will need to be locked in by September 1. A home website for the event, hamfestival.com, is in dire need of a facelift and update, and there’s a brimming hope and expectation that this year’s sponsors get that online push. Johnson noted that officials from Wabash have reached out with supreme interest of being this year’s largest sponsor.
— Beth Sumner, Trigg Chamber director, said that this year’s Country Ham Festival Breakfast will be held at 6 AM, October 13 at the Trigg County Recreation Complex and sponsored by the chamber. Annual awards will be doled once again, with News Edge’s Alan Watts the likely emcee of the event.
— Janelle Halstead, the new Renaissance On Main director, said she will be working the next month on new and returning vendors to the festival.
