Janice’s Jots: A&L Fair activities under way
It’s here! Sights, sounds, lights, pleasing and not-so-pleasing aromas, loads of live entertainment, pageant competition, prize-winning livestock and horse shows, carnival rides and countless exhibits of arts, crafts and the best of the farmers’ harvest.
Last weekend began the 50th annual Warren County Agricultural and Livestock Fair. As a preview of the week-long activities to come, the fairgrounds came alive Saturday at 9 a.m. with the dairy goat show and live demonstrations throughout Fairfield Village.
Horse enthusiasts were entertained at Warren County Saddle Club’s Fun and Games scheduled that afternoon. It provided fun riding events open to everyone with no admission fee and no entry fee. Saddle Club members also offered horseback rides for those interested.
For a limited two-day showing, the inside of Fairfield Village Courthouse was decked out in lovely antique quilts for the annual display. Hearth and Home Quilters Guild members were on hand to demonstrate quilting techniques.
Fair-goers of all ages have been licking their lips in anticipation as they look forward to experiencing the taste of cotton candy, candy apples and funnel cakes before testing their intestinal endurance on fast-paced, spinning rides.
Warren countians welcomed the arrival of Trace Adkins by packing the grandstand arena for his Monday night performance. And they were not disappointed, as he sang the songs that have made him so widely known.
To delight the younger set is the Children’s Petting Zoo consisting of baby farm animals set up in the sheep and swine barn.
It was all fun and games Tuesday as senior citizens congregated in front of the grandstand for Senior Day at the Fair activities and meal served at the site.
There were 75 budding beauties vying for the Little Fairest of the Fair title on Tuesday and I’ll be at the fair this afternoon to make pictures of Baby Show blue ribbon and sweepstakes winners. There are 161 tots who will be taking to the stage for this popular event.
Highlight for Thursday night will be the crowning of Warren County’s Fairest of the Fair as 45 of our county’s attractive young women don their formal finery and flash their best smiles. An added delight will be the on-stage introduction of past Fairest winners, who were entertained earlier in the day at a reception.
Friday is School Day, and any school child probably feels if there was no other reason to hold the fair, having this day free from the classroom would make it worth the effort. This is not to indicate that school is a drudgery, but it’s not often that all your friends and acquaintances have the opportunity to gather at the same place for a time of fun and frolic.
Warren County’s walking horses will prance around the arena Saturday night at 7 p.m. followed by an open-to-the-world walking horse show.
I’m sure the Southern Standard crew is ready to taste test any new cuisine or the traditional hamburger during our lunch break every day. We’ll have lots of food booths to choose from as we continue to conduct our annual search for the best fair meals. I’ll also be looking for great blackberry cobbler a la mode found there last year. Most food booths serve the tried and true burgers and fries, but each also tries to offer a specialty selection.