Howard Fair

[pepelect]

I miss the old days.  Twenty years ago you could not park inside the gate some years for the Howard fair.  Partly because of the carnival setting up in the road but mostly because everybody went.  That definitely was not the case tonight. 

I just spent the evening at the concession stand of the Howard Fair.  One of  two of the last bastions of stupidity on the face of the planet.  While the overwhelming support shown by the community could fit in a shot glass the ones that were there were very quiet and showed no emotion.  I watched the grass grow between the third and fourth row of the bleachers about 3 inches between hamburger orders.  By the way TOOT'S watch out Tom Watts can scald a mean hot dog.   I will refer to him as the grillmaster from now on.  The fair food aside why don't we contact SKT to shut down the cable system for about three hours tomorrow.  Shoot the satelite dishes off all the farm houses and cut the fiber comming in to town.  Then may be someone will be bored enough to sit through the always riveting Fair Parade @10:30..   But don't wait there is more it is the only parade that you will see not once but twice.  Up the street and then turnaround and come back down the same street with the same candy.  There should be a law that you at least have to throw different stuff the second time.  Now we could go back a third time but there isn't time as the turtle race starts at 11:45.


PEP:Note to self buy two kinds of candy.....
Back to the fair:
A RED ribbon?  All the time.  All the months of planning.   All the effort.   The hardship on the parents.  The ability to balance the cell phone, text a message, and correctly aim the staple gun.   
For what.   A red ribbon.

Who had the idea for the two chairs?   What did the tin foil represent?  Was there anyone at the meeting?

I believe in the future of farming in a faith born not of words but of deeds achievements...



I wore the blue coat many moons ago.  I was a state farmer.  I think we can do more...you need some creative inspiration?


If you missed the fair don't worry it is still going on tomorrow.  But if you can't make it to the dance you will truely be sorry.


If you are busy this week don't dispare because this week is just practice we will do it all again in two weeks.   At Longton.  But remember it is the Free fair.   This year with the every popular 4-H.  Head Heart Hands Health

Remember the ole' man will be coming by to get your 4-H livestock sale funds so save your lunch money.  You could buy the grand champion steer!   You might get a plate of cookies and a ribbon for your wall.

Who made the cool lady bug bird bath?

The Fry family has more talent in their little toes than I have stupid comments in my entire little brain.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Funnel Cakes???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rodeo was good. 


Remember when there were fights at all the fair dances?   500 people came.  Two paid to get in and 498 sat outside. 

[hhjacobs]

The ladybug birdbath was made by Marjean Jacobs! Did you get a gander at my box turtle?
It was alot of fun getting ready for the fairr, my firist to enter.

[Jody]

I think the beginning of the end came when Longton decided they had to have a fair,too!

[Marcia Moore]

Just what year did Longton begin having a fair?  Before that time, was the 4-H Fair always held at Howard?

[W. Gray]

The Annual Elk County Grange Fair started No. 9-10, 1945 (which must be November 9, 1945) per the Elk County history book.

The name Elk County Grange Fair name did not last long and it soon became the Elk County Free Fair.

[pepelect]

The biscuits and gravy breakfast at the western heritage (or what ever it is call now)extension office was awesome.  Lindsey prepped the food at 1:30 this morning.  Pep hours she should have called I could have helped roll out the dough.

Alright I have to give props to the fair parade.  It was a good show. 

I really like the way cool fire fighting equipment.  Is this new?  How long have we had the big red fire trucks?

Did anyone but me wonder how you get all those little Kiminska kids to stay in the wagons during the entire parade...I think the political floats were a hit.

The pool  lifeguard dancers must be really confident in their sexuality. If we can't have bikini's at the car wash at the church, then I don't think we should allow guys to wear them either.  That would be reverse gender discrimination.

Don't we have a marching band .... out at the high school....

[Janet Harrington]

  Then may be someone will be bored enough to sit through the always riveting Fair Parade @10:30..   But don't wait there is more it is the only parade that you will see not once but twice.  Up the street and then turnaround and come back down the same street with the same candy.  There should be a law that you at least have to throw different stuff the second time. 

The Howard Fair Parade is not the only one that goes around twice.  The Longton Fair Parade does and the Grenola Octoberfest parade does.  I don't know why.  It has always been done that way as long as I can remember.  I don't know why people aren't interested in the fair, either.  I think some of it is because the county does have two fairs every year.  Part of the reason has to be because of the fuel prices. 

Why weren't more people buying food?  Probably because they couldn't afford to after paying the fuel prices.  Of course, that's only my opinion. 

[flo]

Severy's Labor Day parade always goes around twice and, like you said, always has.  I think it's so it seems like it's a longer parade.  Even at that it's usually over in less than 15 or 20 min.

[Sarah]

We actually had fun at the parade this morning.............although it could seriously use a marching band, but the kids had a blast picking up all the candy. 

We had a wonderful time at the turtle races.  It was my daughters first time to race turtles and she won her heat and since today was her birthday, winning that just made her day.

BUT, I will say that splitting the fair up on two different dates at two different places, I think that was a huge mistake.  I think that takes away from the people that would come.  There's no real reason to go to the fair grounds.  There's nothing to see.  I was really sad when we walked in there and there was nothing there.  No bunnies, no sheep, no chickens, no pigs.  It was sad. 

But all in all, we had a good time.  We didn't get to go back tonight as my daugher had her birthday party tonight, but would have liked to have gone. 

[pepelect]

Back in the day the fair showcased the local ag, industry,  and commerical ventures of the area.  Now there isn't one commerical  or local vender even.  The open class animals were a joke.  There wasn't the sense of community that used to be there.  The entire area used to come to help clean up before, work during, and clean up afterwards.  Now the same 3 people do all three.   


Ok maybe the other  24 people that showed up to the fair today got the message.  The grand stands weren't overflowing but decent.  For an off year.  For anyone who doesn't know the off year fair is the one that doesn't have the 4-H.  Everyother year the fair switches.  I vote that we don't have the off year fair.  The same 3 people work the same amount of time for the 24 people that show up as if they were a full staff to help. The amount of effort that it takes away from productive activity is enormus.  I even was sucked in to working the concession stand again.  More people showed up tonight but I really think there has to be something to see to draw a crowd... 

I don't think gas prices are going to detract from the fact that there has to be something to see to drive to see it. 

Maybe I am wrong and just burnt out but someone else needs  to step up and not just say well we had one last year so we need to keep having it.  The facilities are needing so upgrading.  We had a RV plugged in by the show barn and the DJ amp was blowing its breaker.  The RV gave me an idea what if we rented the fairground out all year as a RV park... We would need to add more plugs, water taps, and dump stations.  If we could become a destination we could get RV packs to come for their retreats and gatherings.  They come in spend a weekend or week tour the area  stay at the fair grounds and leave with a small feeling of small town life.  I think with gas prices high more people are going to travel smaller distances.  If we could get SG or JO county traffic they would bring in a small micro economy with them.