By Gary Dickson
The Lakeport Rotary Club”s principal fundraiser of the year is the beer booth operation at the Lake County Fair.
Thursday I showed up at 5:30 p.m. to work the first of my two shifts in the beer booth for the club. I worked until about 8:15 p.m. when the relief crew came in and took over the taps. At that time I spent some time exploring the fairgrounds and devoted myself to that monumental decision, from the multitude of options, of what to eat at the fair. I selected a barbecue pork sandwich, sat down at a picnic table and enjoyed the meal.
Afterward I sat there and just let my senses absorb all they could from the county fair. If you have ever done that you know that you experience sensory overload. I don”t believe anything beats a fair when it comes to finding a place where so many different things are all going on at once.
From where I was sitting I could see children laughing and enjoying being with other children. I saw adults visiting with people they might have seen earlier in the week or perhaps not since last year”s fair.
I could hear the whine of the engines from the lawn mower races that were taking place on the track and the sounds of the rides on the midway. And then there were the aromas of hundreds of delicacies being fried, grilled and barbecued along the avenue of food vendors where I was located. It might sound strange, but just being at the fair made me feel younger, happier and friendlier.
Perhaps those positive feelings I experienced have something to do with why human beings have been scheduling fairs for at least as long as recorded history and probably for a long time before that.
No one knows for sure when and where the first fair was held, but the Old Testament refers to one about 588 B.C. The book of Ezekiel tells us, “Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the kinds of riches with silver, iron, tin and lead, they traded in thy fairs.” The excerpt is from a passage in which Ezekiel describes the destruction of the city of Tyre, which was apparently an important trade and fair center.
The origin of modern county fairs, like the Lake County Fair, can trace its roots back to a New England patriot and farmer named Elkanah Watson. He is known as the “Father of U.S. agricultural fairs” due to the fact that he organized the Berkshire Agricultural Society and started an event known as the “Cattle Show” in Pittsfield, Mass. in 1811. He started the concept of not only exhibiting farm animals, but he also provided a competition in which prize money went to the owners of the best oxen, cattle, swine and sheep. By 1819 most New England counties had established an agriculture society and created a fair of its own. In North America today there are more than 3,200 well-known annual fairs.
Ask 10 or more people what they like best about their county fair and there is a possibility that you will get 10 or more different responses. Modern fairs have a huge variety of activities and events taking place throughout the course of the fair.
At the Lake County Fair one can enjoy the musical performers, the evening grandstand entertainment, the farm and ranch animals, home-grown food exhibits, homemade food contests, amusement rides, games of skill, business exhibits, livestock auction, seeing old friends, people watching and, of course, all the food and treats.
The Lake County Fair”s theme this year is “Make Some Magic!” I really think a county fair is a magical event. For four days out the year a few buildings and a few acres of ground are transformed into something that comes alive and provides everyone an opportunity to experience what I did; to feel younger, happier and friendlier.
Gary Dickson is the publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. Email him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
