The Wayne County fairgrounds is quiet on this late summer morning, except for the steady clip-clop of a horse's hooves on the track, as a trainer puts his bay standardbred through its paces. Stately old trees hang their branches, thick with cool green leaves, over the winding pathways and silent buildings that have stood for more than a century on these 23 acres on the southwestern edge of Wooster.
But under the grandstand, the office of the fair secretary buzzes with activity as the work of preparing for the 2006 Wayne County Fair is reaching a fever pitch. Pete Armstrong has been in charge of running the fair for more than 20 years. He handles a budget of about a million dollars that finances everything from grandstand entertainment to the clean-up crews that patrol the fairgrounds nightly.
"We start the next year's fair as soon as the last one ends," he says.
Last October, the Fair Board began lining up this year's grandstand entertainment by contacting an agent in Chicago. By early summer, contracts had been inked with vintage rock group Starship, up-and-coming country singer Miranda Lambert, country star Blake Shelton, and popular country band Sawyer Brown. The week's entertainment winds up with a perennial favorite, the Demolition Derby. Horseracing, a tractor pull and performances by area high school marching bands round out the grandstand bill of fare.
The fair's Board of Directors have decades of experience in creating one of the greatest county fairs in Ohio. What is it that makes the Wayne County Fair so special?
"It's the people!" they chorus.
Many of the board members have been associated with the Wayne County Fair for 40, 50, even 70 years, first as youthful exhibitors and later as volunteer staff. In their everyday lives, they are farmers, carpenters, a banker, a teacher, a veterinarian, maintenance workers and oil-well hands, but they share their dedication to maintaining a tradition that has lasted for more than 150 years.
"The fair is made up of a lot of things," explains Fair Board President Jeff Harmon.
With more than 10,000 entries -- ranging from a single flower, judged on the perfection of its petals, to half-ton beef bulls; from a lacy, hand-worked christening gown, to antique steam engines -- exhibitors proudly display their best work, hoping to earn ribbons and cash prizes. Games of skill and thrilling rides entertain young and old alike, and everyone loves the fair food provided at various locations throughout the fairgrounds. From complete chicken dinners and barbecued pork sandwiches to elephant ears, caramel apples and taffy by the piece, no one goes hungry.
Safety and sanitation are a high priority; the grounds are patrolled day and night by county sheriff's deputies, and a clean-up crew sweeps and scrubs from midnight to morning. The county health department constantly monitors the purity of food and water supplies. Staff in the first-aid station treats cuts, bee-stings and sunburn, with an ambulance standing by in case of more serious medical conditions.
Camping space is available on a first-come, first-served basis for families and groups who want to spend the week at the fair (call the fair secretary's office at (330) 262-8001 to reserve a spot). Special days and special events cater to every age and every interest, from the very youngest to the most senior members of the family, and the low admission fee (believed to be the lowest in the state) allows a group to enjoy the sights without breaking the budget.
"We're proud of our $2 gate," says Harmon. "It is amazing we can put on the caliber of fair we do and still maintain the $2 gate."
He and fellow board members are determined to keep that unchanged.
"Families can come and not get beat up financially," Harmon adds.
Harmon's own family has a long history with the Wayne County Fair. Jeff calculates he has participated in 35 fairs, starting with the hog he exhibited when he was ten years old. As a teen-aged 4-H and Future Farmers of America member, he was part of the Junior Fair Board, including presiding over the Junior Fair as Fair King. Later, he volunteered as part of the "poop patrol" (a job that needs no explanation). He is now in his 13th year serving on the board of directors for the fair.
This year is particularly exciting for Jeff and his wife Jodi, as their nine-year-old daughter MaKenzie is preparing to exhibit her very first livestock project, a pair of pigs named Maple and Tootsie. Seven-year-old Sydney is too young to exhibit at the fair, but she helps care for two dairy calves the family is raising.
The excitement of two little girls is matched by the anticipation of anyone who has ever experienced the Wayne County Fair, "Ohio's Foremost Agricultural Fair." The gates open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 9th, for a six-day run. They'll be ready for you!
Some interesting facts about the Wayne County Fair:
*The 157th Wayne County Fair runs from September 9-14, 2006.
*Admission to the fairgrounds is $2 for those over the age of 12; children under 12 are admitted free.
*Tickets for grandstand shows go on sale July 1st. Ticket prices are $7/grandstand seat; $8/chairs or bleachers.
*The Wayne County Fair Web site ishttp://http://www.wa...io.
*The very first Wayne County Fair took place in 1849.
*More than 50 food vendors serve everything from Chinese food to lemonade shakes. Lerch's doughnuts have been a fixture on the fairgrounds since the 1950s.
*More than $52,000 in prize money was paid out to exhibitors last year.
*There are 425 vendors reserving space in permanent buildings and 130 temporary tents.
*The Wayne County Junior Fair (for 4-H and FFA members) is the biggest in Ohio.
*There are entries in 650 categories in the 2006 fair. The greatest number of entries is in the horticulture categories.
*There are more than 300 benches scattered about the grounds for weary fairgoers to rest their feet. Anyone can donate a bench and have it inscribed with the donor's name or dedication.