So long County fairs.
As a child, the fair was THE event of the summer. There wasnt much else for stuff. Drive in movies, root beer stand, cruising. The whole area geared up for the fair. Women baked and canned and sewed to win a ribbon. Men got their demo cars and tractors ready. Artists created what they hoped would net that blue ribbon. Kids did stuff in school to see on display at the fair. 4H kids raised their animals and taught them to enjoy a bath. Businesses prepared booths to hawk their stuff as well as vendors. The Farm Bureau and Fire Department set up their food sales. Mobile food trailers offered heartburn at outrageous prices along with free flies. That was FLIES not fries.
My parents and I went on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon. The midway was packed with neighbors and huge gab fests filled the grounds. Kids went in mobs to fill up on cotton candy, corn dogs and ride the rides to get sick. Couples chased kids and young couples walked hand in hand oblivious to all.
Mom rode the Tilt a Wheel and Scrambler with me. Dad rode the Ferris wheel with me. If lucky I got to play a couple of games that dad thought were a rip off. At night, the lights looked like Las Vegas. Sunday everyone went to collect their stuff and watch the roadies tear down the rides.
My guy and I went this Wednesday. Give that it was a weekday. Yet, that was not all that was wrong. The rides were running with one person aboard. Only one vendor was selling his clothes. The buildings were sparse. Where once they had to build another one because they couldn't pack any more booths in, there were vast spaces between them now. The building for Bingo was empty. The antique tractor pull had maybe 5 tractors and few people in the grandstand.
I checked the animals. Cows there were, being pampered for show and sale. But sheep and goats offered a handful each as well as hogs. 6 goats does not a show make.
We didnt ride the rides, nor ate anything, had parked in the car show with his 58 Ford low rider truck. Not paying $7 for a pretzel or mug of hand made soda.
Now every town has 6 "events" a year. Water parks compete, shows, attractions of all kinds. Along with people who dont create, dont farm, sit on game consoles and Smart phones and talk to everyone on Zoom and Tic Toc. The sad part is most of it is for money. Not to enjoy a community of neighbors.
Guess being a recluse is fine since no one cares anymore.
Comments (6)
Reading your blog was very evocative...
The older you get, the better you can reminisce!!
I haven't heard about that event in years IF it even exists anymore..........Now, BC (before COVID) Denver had set up a "County Fair" at our Western Stockshow Arena...........who knows now. I HAVE seen dedicated participation like you described at Flea Markets around Denver as well as smaller "Faires"..........and I THINK that the "People's Faire" is still going on AC (After COVID)
But,I feel as you seem to do, the many people these days are so wrapped up in their Cell Phones that it's hard to get a conversation going even at the dinner table let alone a gathering. One of my new clients told me yesterday that he LITERALLY threw his television out the window years back. He and his girlfriend/fiance' go outside, walk the dog, TALK to one another.......HOW NOVEL OF AN IDEA!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane:)
I’ve not been to a county fair yet here in the US, hopefully that will change soon.
Shalom,
Iyyov