COMMENTARY

Once again, Dayton and environs were hoppin’ over Memorial Day Weekend.

As in days of yesteryear, the usually quiet town came alive with people and vehicles scurrying to and fro as an exciting weekend of dust and horseflesh beckoned from the Columbia County Fairgrounds. There was a parade coming up, the grandstands were prepped and ready, and local civic groups and businesses readied for the onslaught of hungry and thirsty cowboys and cowgirls.

It was great to see the community buzzing with activity.

What with the spectre of infection by the coronavirus looming over the past few months, Dayton Days and the Columbia County Fair Association put their heads together and set up not one, but two days of rodeo for Memorial Day Weekend. Rodeo is the alternative to what occurred for decades: pari mutuel horse racing. (Dayton Days is working on that.)

In discussion, it was apparent that cowboys and cowgirls across this land were hankering for some rodeo action, so the two-day event was chosen and volunteers began planning accordingly.

Stock contractor Tucker Cool of Bar X Ranches, LLC, pitched the notion that there would be plenty of eager rodeoers wanting a venue to flex their skills, and he was right. The bull riding card filled up and there was plenty to see both nights.

And it was a special time for some Columbia County natives. Pendleton Round Up Queen Josilyn Fullerton of Dayton, and her princesses, which includes another Daytonite, Kaleigh White, made sure to whoop it up during the Chamber of Commerce’s Dayton Days Parade, and also were instrumental in opening ceremonies of the rodeo. To round out the weekend, Fullerton won the breakaway roping event and brother Hayden Fullerton won the Chute Doggin’ competition.

That made it all pretty special, dontcha think?

Meanwhile, with Columbia County in Phase 3 of the governor’s reopening plan, accommodations were in the works. Vendors submitted covid plans and sanitation stations included sanitizer and hand-washing facilities. Masks were available and encouraged. The grandstands were measured and numbered so assigned-seating tickets could be sold online to promote physical distancing was followed.

Friday night did not sell out, and the remaining tickets were sold to people coming for a general admission spot. Saturday night was a sell out ticket wise. People used common sense and sat in family groups with adequate distancing in play.

People attending one or both nights had nothing but positive affirmation for the community for having an event to get people feeling “normal” again.

Around town, the responses were positive as well. As mentioned, streets were busy with traffic. During the parade, people stood in clusters with adequate distances between themselves. Businesses had good reports.

Most businesses reported an uptick in sales, and a few noticed some increased business, but nothing remarkable. Jerry Waggoner of Dayton Mercantile/Subway said it was a good weekend, although it’s difficult to compare this weekend with Memorial Day 2020. His store saw a lot of people from the fairgrounds dropping in.

The newly christened Circle K (formerly General Store) and Dayton PDQ, benefited from both the rodeo and the parade, said owner Jay Takhar. “Business was great this weekend,” he said. “It was one of the better weekends in the past three or four years.”

Mike Spring of Chief Spring’s Brew Pub and Pizza also liked the additional traffic. Although limited to fifty percent seating, business was really good, he said, thanks to the expanded seating by the fire truck. The community was very supportive, Spring added.

As the dust settles on another Dayton Days and Memorial Day Weekend, it’s nice to know that people still have a place in their hearts and minds for the tradition of coming to Dayton Days at the end of May.