Fulton County Fair Deadlines July 1st:
Fulton County Fair officials remind exhibitors that entries, including pageant and talent should be pre-registered by July 1st. Pageants will be held before the fair opens on July 16 and 18. Entry forms are available online on the fair website at www.fultoncountyfair.org
All Creative Arts exhibits will check in on Monday, July 18 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Livestock, including rabbits, will check in from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. Follow the link for online entries on the fair website. The website has separate links for livestock and creative arts exhibits. The computer program does not save passwords so exhibitors will need to select a new password. The online entries for exhibits will shut down at midnight on July 1st. Creative Arts and Livestock Tabloids, including rules and entry information, are available on the fair website. Exhibitors are encouraged to visit thefair website and get a complete entry list for exhibits.
Creative Arts exhibitors who do not have access to a computer can complete a paper entry form and bring it to the fair office or mail it to Post Office Box 910, Salem AR 72576. Entry tags will be ready for pick up when exhibits are checked in on Monday. Livestock entries must be made online. For help on fair entries or information on the 103rd Fulton County Fair, contact the Fulton County Fair Office at 870-895-5565 or email fultoncountyfair1@gmail.com.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.