Fall festivals bring back fun memories
September 2024
by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
It’s county fair season. I love fairs; I have loved them since I was a kid. Then again, don’t all kids love fairs?
One of my favorite things was always cotton candy. Back then, I’d stand there while a lady in a paper hair net whirled the cone around a spinning tub of pure confection. I always hoped for pink. I was disappointed when cotton candy started being made ahead of time and then crammed and crushed into plastic bags.
“I want a real, fresh one!” I’d complain. Well, that was just too bad: Plastic-wrapped, days-old cotton candy was what I got.
My favorite things about fairs were the animals, especially the massive draft horses. Gee, I love draft horses — Belgians, Percherons, any horse that stood taller than the others, especially the Clydesdales. You don’t see Clydesdales much at a fair these days unless they’re pulling a beer wagon. But no matter the breed, every draft horse I’ve met and nuzzled seemed to be gentle.
The bunnies — so many types, some so fluffy they seemed unreal — and the goats were always favorites of mine. I love goats. When I was tiny, we lived on my aunt and uncle’s farm, and they had goats. Those goats were my best friends since there were no other kids around. I’d sneak out with a bunch of cookies. My mother always laughed because I would take a bite of cookie, then the goat would take a bite of cookie, then I would take another bite.
While many kids seemed to embrace the rides at the fair, I was always a little leery. I did like the whirling teacup ride. And, for a while, the roller coaster. I don’t think I could be paid to go on a roller coaster these days. I haven’t ridden any ride since a seatmate threw up on me on the Ferris wheel.
One of the best things about a county fair is the food. Sure, there’s not one vegetable, except for a potato or onion — but none of us go to the fair booth hoping to eat vegetables, do we?
Hands down, the best fair food I’ve ever had is at the West Virginia State Fair. There was squeezed strawberry lemonade and piles of potatoes in towering, crispy curls. My favorite was the West Virginia Cattlemen’s booth which served ribeye steak sandwiches.
I’d always eat one of those first, and then I’d always eat another one as my last stop on the way out the gate at the end of the night. Did I mention the homemade doughnuts? Yum!
There is always too long a line at the booth for the cinnamon buns. It winds around on itself and back again — apparently, they are everyone’s favorite. I’ve never had enough room left after the steak sandwiches and the curly potatoes to wait in that long line, but the gigantic, goopy things sure looked good.
Lately, fried Oreos have become a fan favorite at the fair. I waited in a long line for them once just to try them. They were good, but not really worth the long wait. I doubt I will go to the West Virginia State Fair this year. It’s the kind of trip you need a buddy for. But I will go to Virginia’s smallest, shortest fair: the Bath County Fair. It’s one day only. And that is where my most memorable fair experience occurred a couple of years ago. I volunteered to go up in the BARC Electric Cooperative bucket truck. It was scarier than it was fun, but it was still fun, especially once I got off the thing. I don’t know how those lineworkers brave going up in that thing in the driving rain or snow to get my power back on so I can watch “The Bachelor.” But, thank heavens, they do!
To order a copy of Margo’s “A Party of One,” call 540-468-2147 Mon.-Wed., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or email [email protected].