It will be a busy day in Clarendon this Saturday, March 28, when the annual Clarendon College Invitational Judging Contest more than doubles the city’s population with participants from far and wide.
As of Tuesday, 2,444 contestants were registered for the event, which is the biggest single event held each year in the city. The contest regularly attracts high school FFA students and 4-H students from around Texas and nearby states.
The number of registrations doesn’t include the hundreds of parents and coaches who accompany the students to the contest, pushing the total attendance for the day close to 3,000. According to the 2020 US Census, Clarendon has a population of 1,877.
Past contests have had huge impacts on the local economy. Restaurants are typically packed for the event, and this year will hopefully be equally successful. The day also features the annual breakfast and lunch fundraiser hosted by the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department and the Associated Ambulance Authority, which feeds hundreds of contest attendees in addition to local residents.
The event presents an opportunity for Clarendon College to showcase its campus, faculty, and programs for prospective students from a wide area.
Johnny Treichel, who is Clarendon College Dean of Students, said the event is a big recruiting tool for the college.
“This is the only time each year the college has this many potential students on campus,” he said. “And we are pleased to have such positive support from the community year after year.”
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