By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky created “Pictures at an Exhibition,” a musical depiction of 10 pieces of artwork by architect, painter and close friend Viktor Hartmann who died unexpectedly in 1873.
“Pictures at a (County Fair) Exhibition” seemed a fitting title for 10 photos and brief descriptions of interesting conversations and lasting memories that didn’t result in a feature story about the fair.
Fair entries’ excitement
Luckey area resident Courtney Bockbrader brought her three children to the Fine Arts Building on intake day for projects ranging from art and photography to crafts and collectibles. Thomas, Eleanor and Cameron Bockbrader were so excited to have projects ready for show, including a Lego design, Pinewood Derby car and a model tractor. They also also raise sheep and planned to participate in the sheep show.
Helping hands
Before the fair is open, entries in the Fine Arts Building and some in the Home and Garden Building, are brought in to be judged in time for opening day. Exhibitors are greeted warmly and helped to move them along in the process. I’m always amazed at how kind and patient the volunteers are to the exhibitors. On Thursday before the fair opened, needlework committee volunteers Allison Mills, her 15-year-old daughter Gracelynn Mills, and Candi Beaverson were trying to figure out how to organize the mountains of knitted, sewn and crocheted items for the judges.
Prepping for show time
Thirteen-year-old Lyndy Doyle focused on preparing her breeding doe Dancing Wind for the goat show which started at 8 a.m. on the first day of the fair. Because the task required her full attention, her brother, A.J. was kind enough to explain the steps of getting a goat ready for show. The brother and sister are members of Country Roots 4-H Club. In addition to goats, they show cattle, sheep and chickens.
Two sheriffs in town
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn had some competition at the fair when Sheriff Stretch showed up on the grounds all week. Wasylyshyn has supported the fair for decades. This year he bid on baked goods and carved wood creations, oversaw the shuttle service for fairgoers, and graciously agreed to pose for fun with the visiting sheriff on stilts. He joked that Sheriff Stretch, played by Blake Bailey on stilts, could handle the high crimes when he wasn’t making impressive balloon creations.
Positive attitudes
Addie Pierce smiled as she hosed off her beef feeder on the first day of the fair and welcomed me into the wash area. The 11-year-old is a member of the Country Paws 4-H Club. Her favorite part of the fair is getting to be with the animals.
Smile for the day
Two-year-old Carmella Katich had a cup of carrots to feed the animals in the petting zoo at the fair. First stop was a pen of goats who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer when they pulled the entire cup from Carmella’s little hands, spilling the carrots on the ground for them to gobble up. Her grandmother gathered up the cup so the goats wouldn’t eat it, bought another cup of carrots and doled out carrots one at a time for Carmella to feed a horse, a cow and some goats that didn’t get the first feeding.
Fair hair trends
The Salon Institute of Sylvania set up shop with regional admissions specialist Stephanie Davenport and students of the institute. The team spent most of their days at their booth braiding and adding tinsel to girls’ hair at the fair. The salon students would see girls visit the booth daily to refresh braids, change the color of tinsel or have their makeup professionally done. The full-service salon and beauty school was also recruiting future students for their programs that teach the art of hair design, makeup, skin care, manicures and pedicures. New classes start every month.
Dancing the night away
The junior fair dance during the fair has become a tradition for decades. Long-time 4-H adviser Doug Michaelis turns up the mic and gets the crowd moving. Saturday night in the Pratt Pavilion parking lot, Michaelis played music while participants strolled around in a circle, similar to musical chairs. Instead of scrambling for chairs, participants waited to see if his instructions led to a free milkshake or slushie coupon.
A man of many talents
When I saw Wood County Park District Police Chief Steve Thomson standing in line during the Fine Arts intake night before the fair started, I waved, said hello and remembered when I wrote about him as a Wood County 4-H member. On the opening day of the fair, as I looked at the walls in the Fine Arts Building filled with various media, I noticed beautiful paintings of wildlife and a cool rendition of the Ludwig Mill in Grand Rapids. The park district police chief did the paintings; I never knew Thomson was an artist whose work won accolades in fair judging.
Future royalty
Dozens of young boys and girls spent time with fair royalty on the last day of the fair. Members of the Wood County Fair Royal Court had refreshments and led the youngsters in crafts during the Royal Bling Tea and Royal Racing event. The kids had crowns and sashes and had their photos taken with Junior Fair King Logan Benedict and Queen Madelayne Lee.
