Mar 28, 2022
DAYTON — A little bit of everything was on display at the annual Dayton Expo when it ushered in the spring season on Saturday at the Dayton Community Center. Visitors could check out new farm equipment, home and outdoor decor, and even have a hot pork dinner, provided by Webster County Pork Producers and served up by the Webster County Farm Bureau.
Exhibitors and guests mingled as they checked out the displays and the community events planned for the coming season.
Rodeo to mark 85th year
Certainly, the biggest will be the 85th anniversary of the Dayton Championship Rodeo on Labor Day weekend. Co-chair Matt Johnson grew up coming to the rodeo every year and now serves as co-chairman of the event.
“I grew up in Dayton and went every year as a kid,” he recalls. “Bull-riding was always my favorite.”
-Messenger photo by Lori Berglund
Tom Hollingshead, better known as Doc Holl, of Holl Trailers from Ogden offered information on trailers for the farm and all types of needs at the Dayton Expo.
Johnson now lives in Stratford and still enjoys helping families create the same Rodeo memories he treasures from his childhood. One of the unique features this year will be Roman Riders.
“The Roman Riders are girls who stand on the back of two horses and ride,” he explained. “These riders are out of Oklahoma and should be a lot of fun to see.”
For 85 years, the rodeo has been happening only through the help of volunteers, and it will be the same this year.
“It’s a ton of work, but we’ve got a lot of great volunteers who have the commitment to come together and do it,” Johnson said.
For decades, area churches worked together to provide the food stands. As the population has changed, new volunteers have been sought out to keep the festival going.
“The Wranglers Saddle Club and the Dayton Community Club work together to oversee the event each year. They make up our committee,” he explained.
Of course, all the favorites will be back as well for the 85th year. The flea market is a popular attraction, as well as Scott Amusements with rides for the family, and the kids corral.
Green visits Expo
Iowa State Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone, is part of a family farm near Dayton. He stopped at the expo after talking with constituents at the Eggs and Issues session earlier in the day. Green said it’s important for him to get out of Des Moines and chat with the public at these type of community events.
“It’s always great to see familiar faces when I come back home,” Green said. “Down in Des Moines you can lost in policy, and you spend a lot of time reading bill after bill. You don’t want to lose that perspective of what’s going on at home. It’s great to be able to come back to small town, hometown events.”
Green stopped by the Rodeo booth and spent a little time making his way through the show, talking to visitors and exhibitors alike.
Exhibitors pleased with show
For Tom Hollingshead, better known simply as “Doc Holl,” the show was a good time to tell more people about his business. Based out of Ogden, he provides just about every type of trailer for farm or commercial use.
“So far it’s been all right,” Hollingshead said. “I had a customer come down from Albert City, working on a cargo trailer.”
Winter storms have created a need for more dump trailers, but there is always a need for multi-use trailers.
“Farmers are getting ready for spring, got lots of people looking for different types of trailers,” he says. “I enjoy talking to people, finding out about their needs, and making sure we make the right recommendation for what they need.”
Alysha Haupert, owner of Haupert Designs from Ridgeport, is a new exhibitor to the show with a brand-new business. She said it took a little courage to leave a secure job at Iowa State University and venture out on her own, but after the pandemic she was ready to make a change.
“I decided to take a leap and just go full-time with it this year,” she said. “I just want to get my name out there and let people know what we have.”
Camping buckets were a popular item as the outdoor season gets underway. Haupert makes camping buckets that are either battery or electric powered to provide light and draw mosquitoes away from campsites.
One of her more eye-catching designs included a collection of hand-made Peanuts characters to be displayed outside at the Christmas season, as well as an outdoor Grinch for those who don’t want to think about Christmas quite yet.
Exhibitor Becky Koppen, of Webster County RSVP, told visitors about volunteer opportunities within the county.
RSVP is active in multiple areas of the community, getting seniors involved and making a difference. From The Lord’s Cupboard, to area schools, volunteers can lend a hand and enjoy time spent with other volunteers, Koppen said.
The show wrapped up in the early afternoon and will be back again in 2023.
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