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Fairs will be missed this year

In the Community, Making a Difference

“State Fairs are the confluence of the garish and the profound.” — Douglas A. Wissing, journalist.

In life, there are intervening periods, breaks from the routine, and pauses, that raise the possibility that what follows will not be the normal, as in the World War I era song, “How are you going to keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree!” In the present the lyric might be, “How are you going to keep them interested in the farm if there isn’t a fair.” Across America, county, regional, and state-wide fairs, including Alpena County’s, are being canceled to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Fairs are expressions of pride and hospitality, reflecting the characteristics and traditions of the area represented, often billed as better than ever. Governed by a board that is granted control over parcels of land with grandstand, oval track, pavilions, corrals, stables, and barns, fairs attract people with food, fun, and entertainment. The concept of fairs developed from agriculture expositions — the first being organized by Elkanah Watson in Berkshire County, Massachusetts in 1810, with the first state-wide fair being in Syracuse, New York in 1841.

“We can still connect together and still share those memories together even if it looks a little different.” — Amy Kyllo, Princess of the Milky Way, 2019 Minnesota State Fair.

Losing a fair is traumatic; the Minnesota State Fair has an attendance averaging two million and will lose 95% of its revenue in 2020. To keep the fair in the minds of the public, officials have organized a food parade. For $20 a vehicle, people can drive a route of 16 vendors selling fair favorites — corn dogs, funnel cakes, caramel apples, and cotton candy. If it can be stuck on a stick and deep fried — pickle, donuts, and candy bars, for example — it’s likely to be served at a fair.

The midway will be missed. With food in hand, fairgoers would enjoy walking through the rides and games, offering the thrill of being propelled and emotionally charged by the expectation of winning, but mostly losing. Carnival companies are regionally located and mostly family owned. The “carny,” foot soldier of the midway, works long hours dealing with dust and dumb questions, and lives with a frequent change of locale. For a few minutes of fun, people entrust themselves to the carny, that the ride is mechanically in order and that he or she is alert enough to pull the emergency switch.

In 2018, thousands watched Itty Bitty win the Big Boar Contest at the Iowa State Fair, weighing in at 1.163 lbs. edging out Yo-Yo, who bulked up by eating six pounds of Oreos and 34 cinnamon buns. Farm animals still draw a crowd. With less than 3% of the population directly involved in farming, it’s important to support awareness and future of agriculture through fairs.

The Alpena County Fair may not be Paris, but on a summer evening, a walk through the barns, a few carnival rides, an elephant ear, and lemonade is a pleasant evening. Looking forward to 2021!

“Agricultural Fairs are becoming an institution of the country; they are useful in more ways than one; they bring us together, and thereby make us better acquainted, and better friends than we otherwise would be.” — Abraham Lincoln, Wisconsin State Fair, September 30, 1859.

Tom Brindley can be reached at bindletom@hotmail.com. Read him here the first and fifth Thursday of each month.

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