Fair Days

My mom at the fair with her cousins in 1965.

Fair Days

In my mind today, I'm thinking about carnivals and fairs. Do you remember your first fair trip? Our little county has always been in love with the annual fair so much that they let the schools close the Friday of fair week.

I remember my first fair. I rode the school bus because they dropped us off and picked us up just like a school day but you spent it riding rides and hanging out with your friends all day. Then my mind remembers the tween years of getting to go to the fair at night. The smells and noises are still prevalent as I revisit these memories. Ah, those years when you went on dates to the fair. Those were fun times. Walking and holding hands around the midway was such a thrill. Coming home with prizes your sweetheart had won for you and riding the Ferris Wheel hoping to steal a kiss at the top were epic adventures of growing up. As adults bringing your own children, the times were just as dear. And now I go as a retired adult. I people watch and remember. The people spark memories and send me on a journey in my mind full of memories.

Small town America, you just can't beat it. I'm grateful for my little county's traditions. The people whom I reminisce with when I revisit the fair. Looking at the local artist and children's exhibits, petting animals, tractor pulls, watching talent shows and beauty pageants, and eating fair food are the prizes of fair week in a small town. If you didn't grow up in a small county, you probably wouldn't understand the mesmerizing effect of a County Fair. If you did, I'd say you were blessed.
Sarah Anderson Alley
Dedicated to the 70th Dyer County Fair.
Quote of the Day:
"Nothing is more American than a County Fair."