Fulton Street Fair kicks off today

Ava Smith, 3, and Brock Smith, 2, of Fulton take a spint on a ride at the carnival Thursday as their grandparents, Larry and Linda Smith, watch in downtown Fulton. The carnival opened Thursday evening - preceding the Fulton Street Fair which runs today and tomorrow on and around the square downtown.
Ava Smith, 3, and Brock Smith, 2, of Fulton take a spint on a ride at the carnival Thursday as their grandparents, Larry and Linda Smith, watch in downtown Fulton. The carnival opened Thursday evening - preceding the Fulton Street Fair which runs today and tomorrow on and around the square downtown.

It's time, once again, for Callaway County residents to "Hit the Bricks."

The 10th annual Fulton Street Fair kicks off at 3:30 p.m. today with an ice cream social on the courthouse lawn, and officials say they are prepared to offer the community two days of fun in downtown Fulton.

"It's a neat opportunity for people to come downtown, see old friends, make new friends and have a community party," Street Fair Committee member Matt Harline said. "It's just a heck of a good time. There's always great music, the button drawings are always interesting, the mule auction is always fun, SERVE will get some money from the derby, the mule bingo's going to be a neat new event for the United Way, it's a neat chance for all the nonprofit groups that do the food to get some fundraising in.

"There's just a lot of different people that benefit, and all that's required is for people to come downtown and have a good time."

Highlights tonight include the mule auction at 5 p.m. on Court Street next to the court house, followed by the Callaway Cup Derby at 6 p.m. at the intersection of Fifth and Court streets. There is also the Hit the Crik crawdad-eating contest at 8 p.m. on the Fifth Street Stage.

The carnival opens at 4 p.m., as does the beer garden. There also will be a variety of musical acts performing throughout the night on stages at Fifth and Sixth streets and at the beer garden.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.