Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LANETT — The Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce had to cancel most of its public events this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’re planning to get back to hosting something for the public in a big way on Saturday, Nov. 14 with Rockingfest on the Square in downtown LaFayette.

Executive Director Carrie Royster talked about plans for it at Thursday’s noon hour meeting of the West Point Rotary Club, held at the Jane Farrar Event Center in downtown Lanett.

”I am super excited about it,” she said. “We will see how it goes this year. I would like for it to be a tradition for LaFayette. If you have young grandchildren and nieces and nephews who are young, you should be there. It will be something they will really enjoy.”

Texas is famous for everything being bigger than anywhere else in the U.S. It will be that way with the star attraction coming to Rockingfest 2020. Standing some 16 feet high, 24 feet long and eight feet wide, it’s billed as the largest rocking horse in the world. Up to six people at a time can ride him. They are assisted on the big mount via a ladder and once on the big horse, they are in for a ride they will never forget.

“Our theme is ‘Come and Rock With Us,’” Royster said. “We think everyone will have a great time. There will be fun things to do that haven’t been offered here before.”

One example is polar golf. It’s similar to miniature golf but played on inflatables.

“I want you all to come, and I want you to play polar golf,” Royster said. “I think you will enjoy it.

It’s definitely a different way to golf.”

For those who want to get into the spirit of the Christmas season and the coming of winter, there will be ice skating. This will almost certainly be a first for LaFayette.

From noon until 2 p.m. CDT (1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time), Santa will be there for pictures with the kids.

Rockingfest will be getting underway at 10 a.m. CST and continue until around 5 p.m. (11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern).

Vendors will be stationed all around Courthouse Square offering all kinds of freshly-cooked food along with arts and crafts items.

Royster had her sixth anniversary with the Chamber on October 6. She served under three different directors before moving up to the director’s position a year-and-a-half ago.

“She came into the position under difficult circumstances,” said program chairman Bill Gladden. “Had it not been for the job she did, the Chamber might have gone under.”

“I love my job and working with people I get to meet,” Royster said. “We’re still looking for vendors for Rockingfest. We are looking forward to having a big event the public can enjoy.”