Nothing quite like the fair

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It is just about time for the fair – that magical time of the year when we get to smell a mixture of manure, popcorn and whatever it was that kid barfed up after riding the Tilt-A-Whirl.

The Ogle County Fair will be in full swing this week, and if kids around here are anything like me when I was young, they will be hitting up the fair often.

Of course, our county fair was held in April because the summers are simply too hot. (It hit 118 degrees in my hometown last week).

Hitting the midway during the day was the best way to get some serious ride time in. That is when the carnies would let you go extra long on the Zipper and the Rock-O-Plane. You had to do this before gorging on corndogs and fries, but it was worth it. You might even get a three-tooth smile from the greasy dude wearing a Black Sabbath T-shirt who was operating the ride if you did something really cool, like a bunch of flips in a row or not screaming like a girl at a Leif Garratt concert (look him up, kids).

Of course, there are animals at the fair too. In fact, that is really what the fair is all about. I was never a 4-H or FFA kid myself. Both of my brothers had animals in the fair – both sheep if my quickly-fading memory serves – but all they did was make my brothers work early-morning hours and then they were sold and butchered.

I was a little too sensitive and lazy for that, thank you very much. But the kids that did raise and sell animals at the fair did make some nice cash.

I did always enjoy going through the animal area. For some reason, I just love pigs and could watch them for hours. They are gross and funny and appear pretty smart, actually.

And they are tasty. Have you tried bacon?

Fair food is also something to behold. I have lived in a lot of places, and have gone to county fairs in all of them. Yes, they have a lot of things in common, from the carnival rides to the animals to the usually questionable entertainment.

But it is the food that makes a fair a fair. Fair food is basically deep fried anything. If you are eating fair food and you are over the age of 40, it should come with a defibrillator.

“He just had rolled tacos, fries, deep fried cheese curds and fried ice cream – clear!”

Zap!

Ultimately, the fair was more than a sum of its parts. The rides, the food, the animals, the demolition derby, the queen contest, the entertainment – it was all a part of the magic that was the county fair when you were a kid. Sure, it is still there when you are an adult, and it is fun to enjoy it with your own children.

But for kids, it is a special time at a special event. I hope they have a great time at the Ogle County Fair this week, and make plenty of memories.

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On a personal note, I want to give a shout out to a man who deserves plenty of recognition, and that is especially true during the fair. Stan Eden has been the guy who has gotten me schedules and information and everything else I need at fair time for the three years I have been at The Life.

He is tireless. Stan is apparently 21 years old, because he always seems to be going at life 100 percent.

Stan is not only the media point person for the fair, but also for the Oregon Rotary. He sends stories and photos on a regular basis, and is always available to help.

Thank you, Stan, for always being a helpful, awesome dude.