Taking A Stand: Nice weather and fair an odd mix
Something was definitely amiss at the Warren County A&L Fair this week, something I’ve not seen in all the years I’ve been going to the annual exhibition.
Each night, as I looked into the sky, I was able to see some bright, glowing light out of the darkness which I can rarely recall seeing at the fair. And, as I looked around at the people at the fair, there was something different, something about what they were wearing. Yep, it was moonlight and short sleeves, something I thought I’d never see together at the fair.
For those who have lived here most of their lives, there are two things we know we can count on during fair week, those being rain and cold weather. It seems like every year in my memory that a monsoon comes during the fair, washing out at least two nights. And, along with the rain comes the cold weather almost on cue.
Historically, fair week marks the end of summer as temperatures tend to plummet from the balmy summertime to the chill of fall all in the course of one week. Generally, folks are dressed in sweat shirts and even coats by the end of the fair, unlike this year where shorts and short sleeves were the normal dress.
I can remember fairs where I had to take refuge in my car and warm my hands by the heater just so I could get the feeling back in them. And getting on rides was an iron man experience as the cold would numb your lips and leave you shivering. Those of you who have a few fairs under your belt know what I’m talking about.
So, what’s the deal? Are the seasons moving or is this global warming showing itself? Or, was this a one-year vacation for the elements in honor of the fair’s 50th year?
Actually, what has happened this year is that we’ve cheated the season. Any Warren countian knows the fair is normally held during the second full week of September. However, for the first time I can recall, our fair was held a little earlier, Sept. 6-13, meaning we actually had it during the first full week of September.
Moving up the fair by one week, I believe, may have been the key to having perfect weather during the entire exhibition since Mother Nature tends to hold her worst for the fair. This year, Mother Nature must have neglected to get a fair book so she’d know about the schedule change.
My theory was proven somewhat correct Sunday morning when I got up to go to church and discovered it was raining cats and dogs outside. Then, Monday, while it wasn’t frigid during the day, I could feel the nip of fall in the air. It actually felt much more like fair week this Monday than it ever did during fair week this year. And, the forecast this week calls for cool temperatures at night, some dipping into the 50s and overcast days.
Now I’m not complaining about the fair weather this year. Of all the traditions I really enjoy at the fair, the lousy weather isn’t one of them.
The end result of this great weather was what I expect will be a record attendance for the fair. If you went out there, you likely noticed it was packed almost every night. And, given the amount of work that goes into putting together one of Tennessee’s few remaining free fairs, it’s great to see a big turnout.
With the results of this year’s exhibition, I’m seriously thinking about sneaking out to the fairgrounds one night and changing the fair sign to read “the first full week in September.”
Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].