A Day in the Life of a County Fair Enthusiast
I thought this was an interesting assignment for this class, so i thought I would post it on this blog. We had to do a post and go through the "day and the life" of someone, so I chose to go through my day/week at the county fair.
To begin, the following images are not in chronological order, however, I will do my best to take you through my day at Lima, Ohio's Allen County Fair. This county fair is one of the biggest in Ohio and has been in existence for 151 years. I have been attending this week long event since the day I was born and haven't missed one yet. Though I did not raise livestock, i was at one point an avid 4-H member participating in the k-9 program (showing an training dogs-much like AKC dog shows on TV). I look forward to it every year, and though some might think I am crazy for loving the smell of animals and fried foods and getting my feet muddy walking the grounds, to them i say, don't knock it before you try it. This past summer I had the opportunity to photograph the fair everyday for a week, and here are just some of the thousands of photos I walked away with. Have fun enjoying the sights of a home town county fair.
One of the Fair's entertainment options, The Rough Truck Contest....Locals get to take old trucks and modify them and race them through a dirt track hoping for the best time and the first place prize.
Buck Cherry, Papa Roach, and Hinder performed this year at our fair. Even though I do not care for any of these bands, it was still great entertainment for many others
Though I'm not much of a ride enthusiast anymore, I still love this double ferris wheel...it has become the Allen County Fair's icon and has been around for as long as I can remember.
Watching the 4-H horse riders practice after a hard rain....caught a glimpse of a young rider in a mud puddle. Definitely got splashed a few good times trying to get this photo.
the classic pony ride
I can't even count the number of screaming children walking off of this ride. They seem kind of primitive compared to roller coasters, but these rides are a blast, even if they are propelled by old tires and rusty chains.
One of the many things available to purchase at the fair...Many of the local growers enter their produce in competitions...biggest tomato, tallest corn stalk, heaviest pumpkin etc. You name it, and the fair probably has a category of competition for it. They also have categories for best baked cake, oldest antiques, and quilt sewing.
Yet another classic ride, the swings. This little boy was reaching for his sisters hand.
One of the many animals just hanging around. This cow was too goofy to not take a photo of, great shadow and snot too.
The "Best Dressed Pig" competition put on by the 4-H members. Kids as young as 4 years old gate these big pigs around in costumes that they choose and hope they can come away with the big prise. I think this pig was supposed to be little bow peep.
Just two sisters hanging out and milking their goat. The 4-Hers have to stay at the fair and camp all week, usually in RVs or tents to take care of their animals day and night.
enjoying the fun house attraction.
To begin, the following images are not in chronological order, however, I will do my best to take you through my day at Lima, Ohio's Allen County Fair. This county fair is one of the biggest in Ohio and has been in existence for 151 years. I have been attending this week long event since the day I was born and haven't missed one yet. Though I did not raise livestock, i was at one point an avid 4-H member participating in the k-9 program (showing an training dogs-much like AKC dog shows on TV). I look forward to it every year, and though some might think I am crazy for loving the smell of animals and fried foods and getting my feet muddy walking the grounds, to them i say, don't knock it before you try it. This past summer I had the opportunity to photograph the fair everyday for a week, and here are just some of the thousands of photos I walked away with. Have fun enjoying the sights of a home town county fair.
One of the Fair's entertainment options, The Rough Truck Contest....Locals get to take old trucks and modify them and race them through a dirt track hoping for the best time and the first place prize.
Buck Cherry, Papa Roach, and Hinder performed this year at our fair. Even though I do not care for any of these bands, it was still great entertainment for many others
Though I'm not much of a ride enthusiast anymore, I still love this double ferris wheel...it has become the Allen County Fair's icon and has been around for as long as I can remember.
Watching the 4-H horse riders practice after a hard rain....caught a glimpse of a young rider in a mud puddle. Definitely got splashed a few good times trying to get this photo.
the classic pony ride
I can't even count the number of screaming children walking off of this ride. They seem kind of primitive compared to roller coasters, but these rides are a blast, even if they are propelled by old tires and rusty chains.
One of the many things available to purchase at the fair...Many of the local growers enter their produce in competitions...biggest tomato, tallest corn stalk, heaviest pumpkin etc. You name it, and the fair probably has a category of competition for it. They also have categories for best baked cake, oldest antiques, and quilt sewing.
Yet another classic ride, the swings. This little boy was reaching for his sisters hand.
One of the many animals just hanging around. This cow was too goofy to not take a photo of, great shadow and snot too.
The "Best Dressed Pig" competition put on by the 4-H members. Kids as young as 4 years old gate these big pigs around in costumes that they choose and hope they can come away with the big prise. I think this pig was supposed to be little bow peep.
Just two sisters hanging out and milking their goat. The 4-Hers have to stay at the fair and camp all week, usually in RVs or tents to take care of their animals day and night.
enjoying the fun house attraction. 
Ticken sales woman...
posted by Midwestern Mediocrity at
10:55 AM
1 Comments:
Well your photographs are amazing! You really get a feel of how it's to be at the fair from just from these few images. I guess the best part about them is that you just show little snippets of the event and you still get the whole idea of the event.
Back home we have an artisan fair I used to go to almost every year and even though it isn't 150 years old, the environment is pretty similar. I can relate with the music and the ride photos in particular.
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