Countdown
to the fair
By: JESSICA
SINGLETON
Preparation
is under way for the 2008 Owen County Fair.
For the
next few days the fairgrounds will be transformed as a carnival,
shows, and vendors set up shop.
Mark Baldwin is the President of the Fair Board. He said everything
is right on schedule and believes the fair will go smoothly.
He said
this year’s fair will feature a family fun night on Wednesday.
This will include a backseat driving contest. In the contest,
the driver is blindfolded and must navigate the course based on
the instructions from their teammate in the back seat. There will
also be a greased pig contest.
“We
have events that will appeal to all types of families,”
he said.
Baldwin
said they will feature the same carnival as last year. He said
the rides are inspected regularly and he is confidant they are
safe.
“Last
year state inspectors came twice and didn’t find any problems.”
he said.
He said
the fair will continue to be focused around the largest exhibit
show in the state. He said in the past the show was affected by
the drought. A problem that Baldwin doesn’t think will be
an issue this year.
Shows will
be open to students and adults and will include groups from 4-H
and FFA.
He said
county fairs are important for communities because they are so
affordable.
“Many
families can’t afford to go to the big parks,” he
said. “This is their vacation for the year.”
Baldwin
is concerned that there will be fewer people out enjoying the
rides. He said last year had a low turn-out and the same thing
could happen this year.
He said
high gas prices are partly to blame as drivers choose to stay
home and save money. However, this year’s fair also faces
competition from the Franklin County fair, which will be held
the same week.
Baldwin said the fair board knew about the scheduling problem
but decided not to change the date of Owen County’s fair.
He said it would be nearly impossible to find a week that was
not in conflict with a surrounding county fair.
“We
always start the fair on the third Saturday of July,” he
said. “We don’t want to change the tradition.”
That feeling of tradition surrounds the county fair. Baldwin said
he always looked forward to the fair when he was growing up.
During
the next week, the fair will dominate life in the county as we
remember the fun of our childhood and pass the tradition along
to the next generation.
|
