Thursday, May 27, 2004

Some Local Fun

I live in an agricultural town in which even in these progressive times, we retain a yearly event that is truly charming.  Every year, prior to the Memorial Day weekend we have our Future Farmers Country Fair.  This is an event that so many kids are involved in that there is no school the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.  It is closed due to a local holiday.  Every year it's the same thing, very predictable and very quaint.  It's always held at our Recreational Park in the same spot where happy, nervous seniors will be graduating from high school about three weeks later.

The kickoff for this yearly event is always the same as well.  Everything starts with the famous Twilight Parade which begins promptly at 6pm on Thursday evening.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, comes out for this parade.  The streets that the parade route follows are always packed with chairs, benches and seats of all kinds.  Even in this cautious, fearful age, people of the town set up their seating early in the morning (some where already in place when I left for work at 6:30 this morning) and the chairs are never disturbed. 

This is my 19th year of watching the parade and I long ago observed that folks seem to sit in the same place year after year.  There is always this lively crowd that sits next to us who holds up cards with numbers a la the Olympics as entries march by.  This is funny because it's always a 10 that they all hold up.  This often works to our advantage because the groups streaming by are usually inspired to "do their thing" in front of the card-wielding well wishers; the local ballet troupe does a little number, the Karate or Taekwondo groups show us some of their jumps and kicks, things like that.  It's great fun.  There are so many people in the parade that I often wonder how there can still be enough left over to watch it.  One of my personal favorites has always been the Shriners.  These fellows are always decked out in their fancy Shriner finery and the shoes they wear with the curled up toes never cease to crack me up.  These guys are getting so old, they no longer walk.  They ride on a little trolley that looks like a little version of a San Francisco cable car.

The parade ends at the Rec. Park, the entries are judged and the fair officially begins.  There are no rides (except, of course, the ubiquitous pony rides).  There's lots of different food to purchase and eat and every little organization in town has a homemade booth with some sort of attraction to try to raise a little money.  Many years ago, my drinking glass collection was made up of an assortment of shapes and sizes that my small son had won for me.  Toss a dime in the glass, if dime gets in glass you win the glass.  I guess he was pretty good; he brought home a boatload!

There are animals to see; sheep, rabbits, goats.  There's a place to sit for awhile and watch 4H kids strut their stuff and their animals.  It's the kind of fair where it's safe to let your small child--say 8 year old--experiences a little freedom from the parental sphere and venture out with a couple of friends.  The fair lasts Friday and Saturday.  All Sunday morning, even way down the hill to our house, we can hear the fast paced call of the auctioneer as he auctions off the animals.  I used to be horrified by this and completely noncomprehending.  This is the means to an end that all these children in 4H have been brought up with.  They know full well what's going to happen to the cute little lamb they've raised and lavished so much time and attention on.

The whole affair is quite an experience and to me, always seems like a step back in time.  I like that and I'm always aware that I'm witnessing a slice of Americana that is swiftly disappearing as we hurry ourselves into our uncertain future.

I love a parade and tonight I'm going to enjoy myself yet again. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey, I have that tape (Narada Earth Songs).  COOL weekend.  Where in the country are you?  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

We still enjoy events like this here in Kentucky...it is so wonderful to just let the kids wander and play.