By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Many Wood County fairgoers fit into specific categories – those there for the fried food, or the farm animals, or the flowers, or the familiar faces they see every year.
There are those lured by the deep-fried delicacies on a stick. Those with more international tastes may be driven by the french waffles, Italian sausage or Chinese food. Some prefer the more American entrees of frog legs, deer burgers and alligator bites.
On Monday, the first day of this year’s fair, John Poggemeyer and his daughter, Johni, were sitting on a bench sharing a bucket of hand-cut french fries. This is a tradition for the pair, who live in South Carolina, but return to Wood County to visit family.
Next on Johni’s list was a funnel cake.
“That’s what I think of when I think of fair food,” she said with a grin. “This is my favorite fair.”
Her dad was thinking about onion rings.
“Anything that’s bad for you,” Poggemeyer said.
Nearby in the midway, the mother-son team of Karla and Abraham Keiffer, of Wayne, were downing some french fries. Also on their list was a chocolate milkshake and lemon shake-up – heavy on the sugar.
“You can make them at home, but they’re just not the same,” Karla Keiffer said of the lemonade.
Another category includes kids crazy about spinning rides that further shake up the milkshakes they’ve just sucked down.
“We like to ride the rides,” said Alicia Vallier, with her children, Max, 6 and Beatrice, 2. Max is partial to the fire truck ride that reaches high into the air, while Beatrice is quite content with the carousel horses that gently move up and down.
Though a little scary, the three enjoyed a spin on the ferris wheel.
“I like to see the city from high up,” Max said.
The children also like touring the livestock barns to get close-up views of cows, sheep, rabbits and pigs.
And their mom – well she likes people watching at the fair.
“We like to watch the people,” Vallier said. “It’s just a fun way to spend time.”
Wes Tracy, of Cygnet, also finds himself pulled back to the fair to see people. Years ago, Tracy showed livestock in the dairy, beef feeder and market pigs competitions.
“I like to catch up with a lot of the kids my age, who I used to show with,” he said.
The people are also important to the politicians who spend much of the week hanging out at the Democratic and Republican booths so they can greet local citizens.
“It’s a great opportunity for people,” said State Senator Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green. She is expecting to hear from farmers this summer – many who were unable to plant crops this spring.
“This might be a time to have a conversation,” Gavarone said. “I’m looking forward to hearing from people.”
In addition to greeting fairgoers at the Republican booth, Gavarone said she also intends to take a few laps around the fairgrounds.
“I shake a lot of hands as I walk around the fair as well,” she said.
There is also the thrill seeker category. On Monday evening, the evening entertainment was the annual parade – which had to be moved inside due to the rain. But other evenings promise to have more daring entertainment that fairgoers can vicariously enjoy from the safety of their grandstand seats.
This year’s fair features drag racing, a rodeo, a combine demolition derby and the “monster truck showdown.”
For those who prefer a less high-risk entertainment, there are displays showing the local talent of people who quilt, make wine, can fruits and vegetables, bake bread, and make whistles out of wood.
After completing her shift Monday at the county historical society booth, Dru Cunningham, of Bowling Green, was checking out the floral exhibits.
“I love it,” she said, looking at multi-colored blooms of the blue-ribbon Lisianthus. “I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Cunningham said.
Who says a fair exhibit has to be dare-devilish to be thrilling?
“It’s just outstanding,” Cunningham said of the flowers.
The view was probably even sweeter with the 4-H milkshake in her hand. That is a standby for Cunningham at the county fair – the milkshakes and rootbeer floats from the 4-H booth, served up by enthusiastic young salespeople.
“When the kids come to the window, they are exuberant,” she said.
In the same building, Cathy Wenig and her husband, Gordon, were finding their own excitement by checking out the results for the five items she entered in the needleworks category. She scored three blue ribbons and two red ribbons.
“I obviously don’t do it for the money,” Cathy Wenig said. “I give it away at Christmas time.”
The needlework entries were the result of her husband’s sports viewing.
“We watch a lot of sports,” she said with a smile. “This is what I do to keep busy while he’s watching sports.”
