Rabbit Fest Finishes Strong Despite Rained Out Start
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
Despite a stormy cancellation on Thursday, the 44th annual Rabbit Fest saw massive crowds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as visitors ventured out for some festivities.
The flooded City Park had cleared up by the time the festival kicked off at 5 p.m. Friday evening, with only a smattering of mud and puddles visible by Saturday afternoon.
Beth Galick-Carney, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said that some vendors had been checked in on Thursday before the storms and flooding that followed caused the opening day of the 44th annual Rabbit Fest to be cancelled.
“We were a little worried that we might not even be able to do Friday, but Friday ended up being really, really good,” Galick-Carney said. “We were really happy with how many people came out and supported the vendors.”
In addition to approximately 87 market vendors and 23 food and beverage vendors, plus the carnival, festivalgoers also were able to enjoy a lineup of great entertainment, including performances by Mariachi Ilusion, Back of the Line Band, Scott Taylor, S.C. Lee Cheer and Dance, Chhencho & Co. magic show, Refit Dance Fitness, Jesse Dean, the 80H Project, plus praise and worship led by LaunchPoint Church on Sunday. The Copperas Cove FFA chapter also set up with live rabbits for a rabbit demo.
“It makes me feel good because we plan it, but I think when you have a kind of a tight knit community like Copperas Cove, even though Copperas Cove is growing, it still feels small, I think, when you live here, and I think just a festival like this kind of shows the community involvement and getting everybody together and just having a good time,” Galick-Carney said. “To me, that's what it's about is neighborly love, kind of like what [Mayor pro-tem] Vonya Hart said [during the opening ceremony]. She kind of talked about neighborly love and how she always sees it in Cove. I 100 percent agree with that, so it's just a good time for the community to get together.”
Different organizations volunteered at this year’s Rabbit Fest, including Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful, which had volunteers roaming City Park and picking up trash. There were also local citizens who volunteered, as well as members of the Chamber of Commerce. Members of Mt. Hiram Lodge #595 and the Jno G. Lewis Lodge #622 were in charge of admission and parking.
The Copperas Cove Moose Lodge also helped the Chamber of Commerce with setting up and tearing down after the festival ended.
“It's a huge undertaking for a couple people, and there's just not enough of us on the staff to get all that done, so we are so grateful for all the help,” Galick-Carney said. “We couldn't do it without them.”
Galick also gave thanks to this year’s sponsors, which include Smile Doctors Orthodontics, H-E-B Plus!, Texas Homepro, The Coolest Air, Hank’s Tire Pros & Muffler, Jack Hilliard Distributing- Temple, Cadence Bank, Pecos Pete’s Soda, the Copperas Cove Leader-Press, John D. Bowen Construction, ACES 2020 LLC, Divin Signs and Printing, Navy Federal and Ashley Furniture Home Store.
Saturday morning kicked off with the annual Rabbit Fest parade, with Fester Rabbit serving as the Grand Marshal of the parade. This year was Fester’s last year as the Rabbit Fest mascot, according to Galick-Carney. The Chamber of Commerce has plans to ask the community for input on naming a new mascot, she added.
This year’s Rabbit Fest also featured a fireworks show Saturday evening starting around 9:30 p.m., done by Magic Display Pyrotechnics.
Rabbit Fest also served as an opportunity for some businesses to make themselves known. Natalie Hammonds, 11, owner of Hammonds Handicrafts, had her booth set up next to her mother’s micro-bakery booth, 6:35 RISE Bread and Bakery Co.
Hammonds said she started crocheting in February 2023 after finding the Public Library’s crochet group, which meets every Wednesday. She has taken to selling her items on Facebook through her mom’s Facebook page.
“I just always wanted to be at markets. I just love selling stuff and seeing people's reaction when they actually see it,” Hammonds said.
Natalie’s items range in price from $3 to $30. She also ran a special during Rabbit Fest where customers who purchased two small items got a third one free.
“I’m super proud,” her mom Samantha said. “People come and compliment her, and it just feels really good to know that she worked so hard at it, and she does such a good job.”
Samantha shared that in addition to selling on Facebook and at Rabbit Fest, Natalie will also often take a basket of her items with her with a “For Sale” sign to the grocery store and will walk around selling her items that way.
The lines for wristbands and game credits were long Saturday and Sunday afternoons, as both adults and children of all ages came out to have some fun.
Fifth grader Makayla Acevedo said she thought Rabbit Fest was awesome. Her favorite part of Rabbit Fest was getting to see new people and hang out with her friends. Her top two favorite rides at Rabbit Fest were the Zero Gravity and the Alien Abduction rides, both of which spin the rider around in a circle and use gravity to keep people in the ride.
Makayla said she went to Rabbit Fest last year as well and plans to come back again next year.
“It’s fun,” she added. “The rides are kind of scary.”