BY ANDREW BAILEY
BG Independent News Correspondent
The Wood County Fair is back after a year off due to COVID, and attendees couldn’t be happier.
While the Junior Fair was still held last year, the fairgrounds lacked the lines of food vendors, adrenaline-pumping rides, and pens full of bleating, neighing, and clucking animals.
The fair attracts crowds from all over the state to walk the grounds. Greg Gruic brought his three children from Perrysburg to ride their favorite rides and munch on fair food — after they’d had their fun on the dizzying drop tower of course.
“They missed out on it last year, unfortunately,” Gruic said. “They love to come here, and I always enjoy watching them have fun with everything.”
His son Lawson said the drop tower was a highlight at the fair. “It was crazy,” he said. “We went up and up and up and we didn’t know when it was gonna drop us.” But he was able to do it after he closed his eyes, he said. Lawson and his siblings were rewarded with some well-earned snacks at the many food stands.
The rides aren’t for everyone though.
“I’m here for the food,” Bob Elliott said. With the dozens of options everywhere he looked, he knew the fair that he and his wife Heather had been attending for the last 25 years was back.
While her husband found whatever fried delight caught his eye, Heather wanted to see the hundreds of different animals.
“I’m here for the animals, it’s what I love,” she said. “Seeing them, petting them. … We both loved the zonkey (a mix between a zebra and a donkey) at the petting zoo.”
There were other unique attractions too, like a professional chainsaw wood carver. Bob and Heather said he carved a buck’s head out of a block of wood. “I don’t even know how he did it, but he did it. I almost dropped my fries when I saw it,” Bob said.
With all the fun they had, the Elliotts said the community is the most important part, for the “togetherness” it gives Bowling Green and the income it provides for the city and the vendors.
Dawn and George Welch, owners of the Southwest Soda Saloon, have been selling their craft sodas at fairs across the country for years, marking their fifth year in Wood County this summer.
As business-first people, George said while they enjoyed serving people at the Junior Fair last year, it wasn’t profitable. “We probably made back 20 percent of the total costs for driving out here, setting up, and running it.”
“But a year later and we’re back. We’re putting smiles on people’s faces and seeing how great the fair is again,” Dawn said.
Sandi Lee has set up Lee’s Woodworking Shop in the same spot for around 20 years, except last year, due to COVID concerns. “I broke my streak,” she said laughing. “But now I’m back for another 20 years.”
For some, the Wood County Fair is an annual tradition. Parents bring their children, and when they grow up and have their own kids, multiple generations join at the fairgrounds.
Shirley Rife has been attending for 57 years. She brought her children years ago, and now it’s a family affair. “It’s gotten a lot bigger since I was young,” Rife said. She noted how the fair kept growing and growing over decades, and then it was suddenly absent last summer.
Her daughters Connie Queen and Marcia Noon competed at the fair with animals when they were kids. Now, they’re here to support kids showing off their own animals and enjoy the warm weather the fair has had.
“The fair is back, and the weather is just great. It’s a blessing,” Marcia said.
The warm weather is the perfect setting for the thousands of people in attendance. And while many are there to watch the animals, some are there for another activity: people watching.
The large crowds provide a sense of normalcy for John Welling and Jennifer Whitney. Whitney, who has been coming for 10 years, grabbed a 4-H milkshake and sat on a bench with Welling to see the interesting people among the masses. “It’s fun, seeing what people get to eat, hearing what they’re excited to do that day.”
Welling, who has been coming for 60 years, agreed. “I could just sit here all day and watch the crowds. I just gotta grab some food, find a seat, and I’m ready to go,” he said.
The more people at the fair, the better, Welling said, before debating the best food available with Whitney.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn said anyone can come to him for food recommendations. “I’ve had so much of this food here, I could probably give a food review for every stand here.”
The goodwill the fair brings is the most important part though, he said.
The lack of the fair last year cannot be understated, and all the good it does makes wearing masks and following health guidelines worth it, he said.
A family being able to have fun at a local fair is something people might take for granted, but now that Wood County has gone a year without it, residents aren’t going to miss out.
Joey Carver’s first time at the fair was supposed to be last year, his dad, David, said. But now they’re here to make up for that lost experience, with Joey’s “must-do” ride: The Go Gator rollercoaster.
“He’s probably ridden it five times now,” David said. “The fair will be closed before he even thinks about trying another ride.”
After getting off the ride, Joey ran over to his dad, yanked a handful of tickets from him, and went back for another round.
