The Hopkins County Dairy Festival will officially kick off this weekend with balloons, a parade, dairy show, and milking contests.
The Opening Ceremony begins at noon on Celebration Plaza and will include a ribbon cutting. However, the Hot Air Balloons Rally and Glows will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Shannon Oaks Church, weather permitting.
The festival will kick into high gears Saturday, June 11, with another Hot Air Balloon Rally and Flight from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at Shannon Oaks Church.
Two events begin at 10 a.m., the Dairy Festival Parade and the Junior Dairy Show. The parade will feature a variety of conveyances decorated in this year’s festival theme, “Ice Scream for Dairyland.” All 12 of this year’s pageant contestants will be featured on floats, along with 2019 Dairy Festival Queen Rachel Bramlett.
Typically, the queen registered to compete as a high school junior, and fulfills her duties the next year while still in high school. Bramlett was slated to help crown a new queen in 2020, but the festival has been canceled for the past 2 years due to COVID-19. Bramlett has been away at college, but has graciously returned to Sulphur Springs to represent the Dairy Festival when possible at events that have taken place since 2019.
This year, the Dairy Festival Board has made the decision to shorten the parade by about 5 blocks. In the past the parade entries have lined up around Buford Park, then departed down Connally Street, turning onto Gilmer Street at the square, then continued south to South Broadway Street at Lee Street. This year, the parade will be same until it reaches Gilmer Street at Kyle Street (between the grocery store and car wash on the west), then will turn at Kyle to return to the park.
Also starting at 10 a.m. will be the Junior Dairy Show. This will take place in the Civic Center Arena and feature entries entries by areas students.
Immediately following the Dairy Show at 3 p.m. June 11 will be the Milking Contest in the Civic Center Arena. This will include at least two rounds of competition. The Pageant contestants will each compete to see which can fill their bucket the most by hand milking a cow; points will be awarded for participation in this events and the winner will be recognized. The contestants parents will then square off in a round of milking as well. (Balloon contestants have in the past competed in this event but were not scheduled to do so this year.)
The schedule posted for this year also includes at 2 p.m. June 11 a Dial Club Cow Patty Bingo at the Civic Center.
The Dairy Festival will then culminate with the Dairy Festival Coronation Pageant June 18, 2022. One of the girls will be selected at the 2022 queen. The pageant starts at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center Auditorium. In addition to parade and milking, the contestants also are tasked with selling tickets and are judged on a judges’ interview, evening gown and talent contests as well, Tickets for the event area available from any pageant contestant.
This year’s contestants include: Allison Peckham, Ashland Hooten, Colbie Glenn, Jocelyn Yanez, Olivia Worth, Sallee Spraggins, Miley Fisher, Khira Young, Vanessa Wayne, Jayden Holly and Brooklynn Shackelford.
2022 DAIRY FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Friday, June 10
- 12 p.m. Opening Ceremonies Ribbon Cutting at Celebration Plaza
- 6 p.m. Hot Air Balloon and Glow at Shannon Oaks
Saturday, June 11
- 6 a.m. Hot Air Balloons and Flight at Shannon Oaks
- 10 a.m. Parade (From Buford Park to Connally, Gilmer and Kyle Street)
- 10 a.m. Jr. Dairy Show at Civic Center
- 2 p.m. Dial Club Cow Patty Bingo at Civic Center
- 3 p.m. Contestant and Parent Milking Contest at Civic Center Arena
- 6 p.m. Hot Air Balloon Rally and Glow at Shannon Oaks
Saturday, June 18
7 p.m. Coronation Pageant at SSISD Auditorium
