Dear George,
I think county fairs get in
your blood. Especially if you grow
up in a small town in a rural area, traveling carnivals and county fairs are
major local entertainment events of the year. We had the Menominee County Fair in Stephenson, the
Marinette County Fair in Wausaukee, and, greatest of all, the U.P. State Fair
in Escanaba. These were and are
filled with the wonders of childhood -- bright lights, hot dogs and cotton
candy, rabbits and chubby pigs, the Whirling Dervish and the Bumper Cars, the
Tunnel of Love, and in the old days a politically incorrect “freak show”. There’s usually a demolition
derby on Saturday night, tractor pulls, the crowning of the Queen of the Fair,
sometimes harness racing. One of
our most memorable experiences was seeing Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash and
family perform at the Wausaukee Fair twenty-five or so years ago.
The county fair is a time for
farm folk and others to display their animals and poultry, vegetables and
flowers, baked goods, and arts and crafts, as well as to socialize and enjoy
the excitement of the midway. We
city-dwellers get a chance to reconnect with a world from which we’re one step
removed. In Cincinnati, when our
son J was growing up, we went every August to the Hamilton County Fair at the
Carthage Fairgrounds. Despite a
more urban flavor, it had plenty of goats, rabbits, and sheep to keep us enticed. The Carthage highlight was Zambora the
Gorilla Woman, an illusion in which a scantily clad young woman enters a booth
on the stage, then is transformed in the midst of mirrors and flashing lights
into a mammoth gorilla who roars and breaks out of the booth, leading younger
members of the audience to run screaming from the exits.
We learned years ago that the
biggest and most splendid fair in our area is the Warren County Fair in
Lebanon, Ohio. The fair,
originally planned by future President William Henry Harrison, was first held
in 1850 and had an initial budget of $354.50. The 4-H program began in nearby Springfield in 1902 and soon
became an integral part of the Warren County Fair. I suggested to Katja that we go to it last week, but with
her knee still recovering from surgery and a forecast of 97 degrees and the
likelihood of serious thunderstorms, she declined. I was able to recruit my friend Jennifer and her son Calvin
though, and we set out early on Thursday morning. Jennifer had grown up with county fairs in Minnesota, but
Calvin had only been to one before.
With seniors and kids free, our total admission price was $8. At first the Fairgrounds looked
deserted, but then we discovered a large crowd at the 4-H sheep-judging
competition. It soon became clear that sheep aren’t the most cooperative of
show animals, but we watched admiringly as the girls and boys used wrestling
holds to move their wards into proper positions. Here’s how they looked.
The Warren County Fairgrounds
have about eight or nine buildings devoted to animals and poultry, and we took
in most of them. There was an
impressive array of pigs, sheep, goats, and even alpaca.
Katja and I raised rabbits
for years in the 1980’s, and we still enjoy seeing them the most. There were lots of bunnies that I
wished I could take home, as well as cages with hens, roosters, and geese.
We stumbled upon a large
horse-judging competition. I think
of our neighboring state of Kentucky as the main horse region around here, but
Warren County has an impressive number of show horses. They were the most magnificent animals
that we saw.
By noon we were getting
hungry. There were 50 or 60
different food vending operations that had been towed into the fairgrounds, all
of them colorful, kitschy, and flamboyant. Everything was over-priced, unhealthy, and completely
appealing. Jennifer and Calvin had
crepes, and I settled on an Italian Sausage sandwich with the works for
$6. It was my best meal in recent
memory.
In the main Fairgrounds
building we wandered about, checking booths by the Democrats, Republicans, and
Libertarians; Right to Life, Planned Parenthood, and the NRA; Warren County
Parks; churches; Girl and Boy Scouts; 4-H; and many other organizations. I bought a “Cyclists for Obama” button
for a dollar, even though I haven’t cycled for quite a while. My companions graciously posed for a
picture at the Liberty Tax booth.
A chainsaw wood sculptor was
pursuing his noisy but skillful task outside the grandstand.
The arts and crafts exhibits
weren’t an extensive as I’d remembered them, but they were enjoyable
nonetheless. It’s fun and
inspiring to check out all of that amateur effort, which ranges from rough at
the edges to professional in quality.
There were plenty of
vegetables and flowers to go around.
Warren County’s biggest cabbage was huge – the photo doesn’t even do it
justice.
The games and rides weren’t
scheduled to open till after our scheduled departure time, so we looked them
over but didn’t get to partake (which was fine with me).
It started to rain about 1
p.m. Calvin decided he should take
a walk in the drizzle. Then we got
in the car and headed home on I-71.
I thoroughly enjoyed the
fair, everything about it, and hope we get to take in another one this
season. It’s very homey and
familiar, offers many different sights and experiences, and is a leisurely way
to spend a day. I hope everybody
gets to go to the fair this season.
Love,
Dave
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