Over the past couple of weeks I have had my fair (pun definitely intended) share of fair activities. I went to the Wood County Fair and to the Northwest Ohio Antique Tractor Association’s tractor square dancing. Friday afternoon and evening I spent a couple of hours at the National Tractor Pulling Association’s championships in Bowling Green (Wood County) for work. You can read my story here: “Beer Wagon” trying to deliver at Bowling Green tractor pulls.” You can watch the fans go crazy in my tractor pull video, below. On Wednesday I submitted the paperwork for five entries at the Hancock County Fair and in two weeks, I will be checking out that fair for the first time while also, I hope, heading home for some Canfield Fair action.

I am not much of a fair person, but then again, I am, especially now that I am living in a county where agriculture is really important. The fair and many of the other events that happen at the fairgrounds are a true example of classic Americana.

The things I dislike about the fair are that it is smelly and often dirty, and it is always ridiculously hot. The things I like about the fair include the food and the people watching and the non-smelly animals. I also enjoy the art barn.

The fair is a whole different world from what I grew up in. As opposed to Amanda from A Dangerous Business and her statement that her high school didn’t have a “Drive Your Tractor to School Day” in jest, my high school did have that day in jest.

At some point during my older teenage years, I boycotted the Canfield Fair. My dad always went as a kid, so it’s tradition that we go. But we look at the same things every year. We’d get a mouth guard from the dentist in the health building. Look at photos and art. See the gigantic pumpkins and decorated scarecrows. Look at the horses and eat from the same stands, whether it was free kettle corn from over near the antique tractors or ice cream from the stand by the grandstand.

After enough years, all that got boring. (One year I even took a book to read!) But now that I’m older, like with so many things, the fair really isn’t so terrible, because all the awesome people watching makes up for everything else. Mullets are in high supply, the food is always good and now that I’ve seen some other fairs, I know how awesome the Canfield Fair truly is.

Consider this. At the Wood County Fair there were a couple dozen food stands, a couple game stands and a handful of rides. No giant pumpkins. No elephant rides. No reconstructed pioneer village. And not too many people. I wasn’t impressed. I’m anticipating a bit more of the same at the Hancock County Fair over Labor Day weekend. At the Canfield Fair, there are dozens upon dozens of food stands. Everything is in mass number and the streets are packed.

Still to come:

Wood County Fair video, featuring farm animals and racing pigs
Tractor square dancing video, featuring square-dancing tractors
An update on my fair entries, with baking preparations and photo selections
A final roundup of the Hancock County Fair and the Canfield Fair after Labor Day