Our town is so small, that there is no local TV station, we get all our tv news from either Louisville, KY or Evansville, Indiana. But we do have a radio station. That's another mainstay of our little county fair--being interviewed on the radio. Local businesses donate everything from keychains and waterbottles, to t-shirts and ball caps. And for allowing yourself to be interviewed on the radio, you get a chance to "spin the wheel" and win a prize.
The wheel is a very small version of the Wheel of Fortune wheel. Instead of listing money, all listings on the wheel are business names, which correspond to that particular prize. I might be dating myself, but I remember when the radio station gave out records for interviews, but I digress.
The interview goes something like this:
Q--What's your name and where are you from?
A--Suzie (or Jane, or Tom, or whatever the case may be) I'm from here in the county.
Q--What brings you out to the fair tonight?
A--(in our case) The 4-H livestock auction.
Q--Did the kids have fun?
A--Oh yes, and so did the parents.
Q--All right, spin the wheel and win a prize...
You've won a ball cap from Wright Implement! Congratulations....
Over the years we've won everything from candy to tote bags, straw hats to fly swatters. It's amazing how people will put up with a few questions from a local "celebrity" for a chance to win a fly swatter from the bank......
Showing posts with label county fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label county fair. Show all posts
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
The County Fair - Homemakers Clubs
That's another main stay of the fair. The homemakers clubs. Everyone works all year for the blue ribbons and the bragging rights that accompany them.
Christmas decorations--the best, the most unusual, knitted items, stockings, tree skirts, ornaments. Best crocheted afgan, best quilt, best cut flower, best garden display (veggies or fruit on a plate or in a basket). Pickles, peppers, jams, and jellies.
One lady had 52 blue ribbons and another had 135 entries. (it's like the fair is their full time job)
That area of the fair has expanded to include a men's corner, as well as a special catagory for children under 12.
All the children get participant ribbons, as well as 1,2 and 3rd place ribbons.
There were lots of wood working projects which were so intricate and beautiful, you'd expect to see them in exclusive boutiques--not in a tin barn in the middle of a field.
That's another part of the fair that takes forever to look at--simply because there is so much stuff that you don't want to miss. The pattern of stitching on this pair of pillowcases, the yarn used in this afgan, does this jar of pickles look as good as mine....etc, etc.
Christmas decorations--the best, the most unusual, knitted items, stockings, tree skirts, ornaments. Best crocheted afgan, best quilt, best cut flower, best garden display (veggies or fruit on a plate or in a basket). Pickles, peppers, jams, and jellies.
One lady had 52 blue ribbons and another had 135 entries. (it's like the fair is their full time job)
That area of the fair has expanded to include a men's corner, as well as a special catagory for children under 12.
All the children get participant ribbons, as well as 1,2 and 3rd place ribbons.
There were lots of wood working projects which were so intricate and beautiful, you'd expect to see them in exclusive boutiques--not in a tin barn in the middle of a field.
That's another part of the fair that takes forever to look at--simply because there is so much stuff that you don't want to miss. The pattern of stitching on this pair of pillowcases, the yarn used in this afgan, does this jar of pickles look as good as mine....etc, etc.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The County Fair--Merchant's Building
After the auction, we meandered through the "merchant's building" which is where all the local businesses and charities rent booth space and give away everything from candy to calendars, fly swatters to yard sticks. An election year, such as this one, is the best year to go, since you get the best stuff. I think we were given enough pens and pencils to last our son the entire school year....now if someone will only give out backpacks and notebooks.
Freebies--that was the order of the night. Cookbooks from the nursing home, key chains from the school system, bumper stickers from every candidate imaginable--and for every office imaginable, candy and balloons.
Raffles--every booth had a raffle. Drawings on Saturday--the last night of the fair. Win a country ham from the democrats for truth booth. Win a free vacuum cleaner from the rainbow air purifying company. A basket of things for the new baby, from the Health Department. A toy John Deere tractor from the Antique Tractor Association, gas card from the Sheriff's Association, and the list goes on......Being a local fair, you know most everyone that has a booth--"Hey Tea Thymer, why haven't you signed up for our gas card yet?" "How's your momma?" "What are the kids doing these days" You need to spend a minimum of 10 minutes per booth, just to catch up on the news--then another few minutes to sign up for the various and sundry raffles.
The Gimmes--the booths that say gimme your money. All worthy causes, but gimmes none the less. High school foot ball boosters, VFW, Animal Friends (the local humane society) just to name a few.
Freebies--that was the order of the night. Cookbooks from the nursing home, key chains from the school system, bumper stickers from every candidate imaginable--and for every office imaginable, candy and balloons.
Raffles--every booth had a raffle. Drawings on Saturday--the last night of the fair. Win a country ham from the democrats for truth booth. Win a free vacuum cleaner from the rainbow air purifying company. A basket of things for the new baby, from the Health Department. A toy John Deere tractor from the Antique Tractor Association, gas card from the Sheriff's Association, and the list goes on......Being a local fair, you know most everyone that has a booth--"Hey Tea Thymer, why haven't you signed up for our gas card yet?" "How's your momma?" "What are the kids doing these days" You need to spend a minimum of 10 minutes per booth, just to catch up on the news--then another few minutes to sign up for the various and sundry raffles.
The Gimmes--the booths that say gimme your money. All worthy causes, but gimmes none the less. High school foot ball boosters, VFW, Animal Friends (the local humane society) just to name a few.
The County Fair
If you have never had the good fortune to attend a that small slice of Americana known as the county fair--you are really missing out on a lot. Let me elaborate my recent experience at the fair. Our county fair was held recently. Every night is a different featured event--as well as other smaller events.
Thursday night's main attraction was the motocross races. But the main event for a lot of the kids was the jr livestock auction. Everything was auctioned from chickens to beef cows and all the money went to the kids who raised the livestock. If you have never seen this phenomena, then you need to make a point to go see one--at least once in your life.
The 4-H leader had 15 or so kids, ranging in ages from 3 to 15 holding chickens, which were being bid on by various and sundry relatives, politicians, and business owners. A 3 year old held a chicken bigger than she was and grandad bought it for the humongous sum of $35.00. Chickens got loose from the kids and ran around the pen, with children in hot pursuit.
And when one little brown haired beauty finished showing her bird and it was purchased--instead of putting the bird back in the cage and returning to the "waiting area" for the auction to be over with, she walked out of the show ring, walked up to said politician which bought the chicken and tried to give it to him. "MOMMA!!" she was heard to wail "He won't take it!"
Waiting in the wings for the poultry sale to be over, were the hogs. Not only did chickens get loose and run amok, but one of the hogs got loose and ran into the show ring, which caused another round of laughter from children and adults alike.
Thursday night's main attraction was the motocross races. But the main event for a lot of the kids was the jr livestock auction. Everything was auctioned from chickens to beef cows and all the money went to the kids who raised the livestock. If you have never seen this phenomena, then you need to make a point to go see one--at least once in your life.
The 4-H leader had 15 or so kids, ranging in ages from 3 to 15 holding chickens, which were being bid on by various and sundry relatives, politicians, and business owners. A 3 year old held a chicken bigger than she was and grandad bought it for the humongous sum of $35.00. Chickens got loose from the kids and ran around the pen, with children in hot pursuit.
And when one little brown haired beauty finished showing her bird and it was purchased--instead of putting the bird back in the cage and returning to the "waiting area" for the auction to be over with, she walked out of the show ring, walked up to said politician which bought the chicken and tried to give it to him. "MOMMA!!" she was heard to wail "He won't take it!"
Waiting in the wings for the poultry sale to be over, were the hogs. Not only did chickens get loose and run amok, but one of the hogs got loose and ran into the show ring, which caused another round of laughter from children and adults alike.
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