Letters for George: At the Butler County Fair

Saturday, July 28, 2018

At the Butler County Fair

Dear George,

County fairs have to be among the top two or three places in my life. This attachment goes back to my childhood in the predominantly rural U.P. We didn’t have museums, zoos, or symphony orchestras. But we did have the county fair each summer, and it brought together all of the wonders of life as we knew them — farm animals, crops, flowers, cooking and baking, arts and crafts, clothing and fashion, woodworking, delicious food, amusements, games, hobbies of all sorts, and a huge communal gathering. Many years later, our son J was born, and we started doing the annual county fair all over again, now in Cincinnati — riding the rides and being terrified by Zambora the Gorilla Girl.

This is fair season in Southwest Ohio, and this past week Katja and I took in the Butler County Fair in nearby Hamilton. We headed straight for the rabbit barn, our thrill of thrills. (Katja had raised rabbits for years in the 1970s.) There must have been 100 or more furry sweethearts on display. Here are just a few.

The big animals, of course are quite as amazing, and the fair is the only place we get to see them up close. Most were raised by 4-H club members.

The gardeners — flowers and vegetables — were equally proud of their prize-winning products.

I always enjoy the arts and crafts, especially the children’s art. Now I wish our family had submitted things to the Menominee County Fair.

Probably because it’s so unhealthy, fair food is uncommonly delicious. Katja dined on a gyro, while I opted for a Polish Sausage, and we shared a lemonade and a Tunnel Cake for dessert.

The evening Grandstand Event was the Broken Horn Rodeo. Along with a thousand other audience members, we marveled at the bucking broncos, calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, and barrel racing. Gene Autry couldn’t have done better.

After dark, the fair takes on a whole new atmosphere. Teenagers throng to the midway, and the night becomes filled with intrigue and adventure.

Our visit went by too quickly. I hope that we’ll go again soon.

Love,

Dave

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