The Copper CowBelles.........are getting worried. Ticket sales for our Shindig coming up on April 22 seem to be down. We are competing with the Tour of the Gila (who changed the event date after we choose ours), the Garth Brooks concert last weekend and the Country Western Festival in Las Cruces next weekend. If we have one next year we have got to plan it at a different time?

We moved it from the Spring to the Fall and got complaints that in the Fall it is GÇ£hunting season and shipping calvesGÇ¥ time. So we moved it back to the Spring and haven't done well since then as it seems there are too many things going on. Just looking at our Chamber weekly newsletter makes me dizzy!

If anyone complains that there is nothing to do in Grant County, I would love to differ with them.

But obviously, the arts community is dominating these events and the County Fair, Rodeo and Shindig are suffering. Our Western Heritage is slipping away despite the Wild West theme of this year's Chocolate Fantasia. Do we accept this change in attitude or fight back with bigger, better events?

The CowBelles are trying very hard to come up with a different fundraiser to support our agricultural scholarship program, something that will appeal to the younger crowd but we are really struggling with ideas that seem profitable.

Any thoughts and advice you might share would be greatly appreciated.

Pat Hunt, President
Copper CowBelles

Grant County