Farm show has soggy ending
BY CHRISTINE DES GARENNES AND TRACY MOSSS
NEWS-GAZETTE STAFF WRITERS
Published Online SEPTEMBER 25, 2003
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HENNING – Sunshine and steady winds out of the southwest had renewed hopes that the 2003 Farm Progress Show would reopen to the public today after Wednesday's show was canceled due to heavy rains, but an additional quarter-inch of rain Wednesday night dashed those hopes.
"We fought a valiant battle, but a losing battle," said Farm Progress Midwest Regional Business Manager Don Tourte at about 10 p.m. Wednesday after deciding that the additional rain would make it impossible to reopen for the final day of the show.
"The 2003 Farm Progress Show is over."
Tourte said crews worked hard all day Wednesday to improve the muddy grounds, which had been flooded by heavy rains Tuesday night.
By 3 p.m. Wednesday, Tourte said the show's parking lot and streets were "drying out nicely" under the sun and wind.
Throughout the day, vendors drove through the streets at the show site to pack down the mud. Meanwhile, police and volunteers tried to keep vehicles out of the cornfields where cars would have parked today.
Those with advance tickets to the canceled concert by Montgomery Gentry were advised to check the show's Web site – www.farmprogressshow.com.– in early October for more information.
As of Wednesday afternoon, organizers had every intention of having the show – unless it rained again.
Jeanie Cook, executive director of the Danville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the show had had a perfect day Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoon she was hoping for a repeat today.
Tourte and Cooke kept their chins up Wednesday, citing Tuesday's grand opening as a reason.
"Having a day like (Tuesday) makes it a little bit better," Tourte said. "It was a terrific day. We had 150 percent more people than we had at last year's Tuesday." Tourte would not estimate the number of attendees on Tuesday.
Over on the Gernand farm Wednesday afternoon, Margaret Gernand declined to predict Mother Nature's next move.
"I have no idea what'll happen. I just hope it doesn't rain," she said. The show took place on two adjoining farms, one owned by the Gernands and the other owned by the Penfield family and farmed by Scott and Nancy Clark.
After the visitors bureau got word about the show's cancellation at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Cooke and her staff called hotels to alert guests.
The cancellation prompted a minority of show-goers staying in local hotels to pack up and leave town, but the majority were sticking around in hopes the last day would go on as scheduled.
Leslie Sampson of the Comfort Inn in Danville said most of the people in their rooms were sticking around to see about today, but people in four or five rooms left early.
It was the same in other Danville and Champaign-Urbana hotels, including the Days Inn in Danville, where fewer than five bookings left early, and a few left early from the Super 8 in Danville.
Officials at Urbana's Park Inn said most of their rooms were occupied by show vendors who were booked through Friday night, and most were sticking around Wednesday unless rain fell again or the show was canceled altogether. The vendors were planning to pull out either late Wednesday night or early today if the last day was canceled, too.
Jan Martini, manager of the Sleep Inn in Danville, said a few rooms that were booked through the end of the show, opened up early Wednesday after the day's activities were canceled, but they filled up again with people who had been hoping the last day would take place.
Officials at the Hampton Inn in Champaign said most of their guests also decided to stick around, and many were spending the day at the hotel's facilities, socializing and doing some of the business talk they likely would have been doing at the show.
Quite a few visitors stopped by area museums.
"Wednesday is usually very quiet, but we had a good amount of people in here. They are enjoying it and saying it's nice to find out about the county they are visiting," said Sue Richter, director of the Vermilion County Museum.
Richter and her staff had cookies and coffee on hand for their visitors.
The Vermilion County War Museum, normally open 12 to 3 p.m., opened its doors at 9 a.m. Wednesday and stayed open until 9 p.m.
"It's disappointing for everyone, but we're accommodating them and trying to make them feel at home," curator Sparky Songer said.
Added Richter, "They all seemed to be in pretty good spirits. You can't do anything about the weather."
You can reach Christine des Garennes at (217) 351-5388 or via e-mail at cgarenne@news-gazette.com.
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