2003 award recipients Chuck and Irene Dugan of Chuckwagon Concessions and Randy Smith's son Craig Reinhardt

Chuckwagon Concessions, a fixture at the Orange County Fair for 28 years, was honored for providing outstanding product, service and facility upgrades by becoming the first recipient of the Randy Smith Concessionaire Award of Excellence.

Owned by Chuck and Irene Dugan, Chuckwagon was cited for the attention it gives to customer amenities, decorations, theming and the construction this year of a new barbecue stand with windows so the cooks can be seen.

There were three other finalists for the award:

• Andy’s Concessions, owned by Andy Blakely. A 19-year participant at OCF, Andy is known for his barbecued chicken fajitas and fresh vegetables cooked on an open grill. This year he built a barbecue hut and added ribs and pork chops to his menu and expanded his seating area.
• Charlie Boghos and Bob Jackson of Chicken Charlie’s. Five years ago they bought the broasted chicken stand that is now in the Livestock area. This year they have added new items, including deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos.
• Terri Crutchfield of Terri’s Berries. Over the last eight years she has consistently upgraded her stand to maintain a new and fresh look while continuing to provide fresh fruit. The new items are chocolate treats and more fresh fruits.

The Randy Smith Concessionaire Award is named for the 12-year Fair Board member who passed away earlier this year. He was supportive of concessionaires’ efforts to upgrade and compete against better known vendors.