The other day Katja and I went to the county fair in nearby Lebanon, Ohio. I try to go to at least one fair every summer. It takes me back to my Menominee youth when fairs and carnivals were highlights of the summer season. Still today they never fail to be a treat.
The lady at the admission gate pointed us to the animal barns. The first was the sheep barn, a huge structure filled to capacity with 8 foot by 8 foot cages holding newly shorn sheep. Most had been raised by teenage 4-H club members, some of whom were hanging around in umbrella chairs, tinkering with their cell phones. About half the sheep were clothed in brightly colored protective jackets — blue, yellow, red, violet, even a Florida beach scene. The sheep were curious as we passed their cages and raised their heads or even jumped up and put their front legs on the railing. At first I was afraid of getting nipped, but the sheep were agreeable to be petted on their heads and necks. They seemed like very calm, gentle animals. Despite their being for sale, they had no idea that the next step was the slaughterhouse. Katja and I are fond of roasted lamb, but we couldn’t imagine eating one of these darlings.
The goat barn was next door. Goats and shorn sheep look pretty similar, and the goats had the same temperament — calm, cool. They too appreciate being petted. The male goats had the sharp tips of their horns cut off, perhaps to avoid goring one another. However, we didn’t see any instances of aggression. When the goats lay down to sleep, they usually snuggled up against one another. I was reminded that we urban-dwellers have zero contact with these farm animals in our daily lives.
There were two poultry buildings, both filled with chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Such a variety. The ducks were the noisiest of the group; the turkeys, the most majestic. The birds were not as friendly as the animals, and they seemed bored in their little cages, many of them sound asleep.
The rabbit barn was our favorite destination. We owned a succession of rabbits in the 70’s and 80’s, and we remain enthralled. While the sheep and goats all look alike, rabbits come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. We stopped to check out every one of the several hundred on display. My favorites were the Flemish Giants who were larger than our schnauzer.
Having finished the animal buildings, we stopped by the exhibition hall which displayed creations by county residents. Floral arrangements, fruits and vegetables, bales of straw, baked goods, art work, wood-working, photography, sewing and knitting, and probably other stuff I’ve forgotten. Lots of ribbons awarded. All of the products were done by amateurs, and it was pleasing to think of the pride they probably felt in being shown at the county fair.
The food area had two long rows of brightly decorated booths which offered all the standard varieties of county fair food — cheeseburgers, pizza, Italian sausage, Philly steak sandwiches, bloomin’ onions, softserve sundaes, etc. All of it tasty, unhealthy, and over-priced. Katja bought a pretzel for five dollars and paid nine dollars for a large pina colada lemonade and its refill. I just sampled a bit of her food and drink.
We sat down in the entertainment tent to eat. I expected to see a country western band, but instead the entertainment consisted of audience members doing karaoke, singing along to loud recorded music. Most of the singers were pairs of teenage girls, sometimes accompanied by younger brothers who were trying to imitate Michael Jackson dance steps. The performances weren’t up to American Idol standards, but they generated applause from an appreciative audience.
The fair was fairly empty when we arrived at 2:30 but the crowd increased as the afternoon went on. Parents with small kids made up much of the population, followed by teenagers who were on their own in pairs or small groups. I was struck by the number of obese people, but probably no more than in many other public settings. About 99% of the fairgoers were white. Warren County voted heavily for Trump in 2024, but I didn’t see any MAGA hats. I tried to see if I could identify people who looked like Trump voters, but everybody just looked like normal friendly people. Probably a good reminder about stereotyping.
Our last stop was the Midway. All the games and rides, the thrills, the excitement. We watched the little kids with their parents on the carousel. Then an eight-year-old boy rode a mechanical bull which bounced around until it finally tossed him onto the inflatable mat. Though all the rides were free, we skipped most of them until we came to the ferris wheel, the mildest of the options. Soon we were up in the sky at the top of the eighty-foot wheel, looking for miles in every direction. The ferris wheel went round and round for six revolutions. I worried about getting seasick as our gondola was swinging back and forth, but I toughed it out. We got off and made our way to the parking lot. Another successful county fair adventure.
Love,
Dave
