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Erika_Fair

Feature Article August 29

Feature Article August 29, 2001

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Erika. I've been to the fair!!by Richard BennWhen I think of the Parham fair, one of my most humorous memories is of the day when my two-year-old son and I came home from the fair. He marched in the door and exclaimed to his one-month-old sister, Erika, Ive been to the fair! A lot has changed in the family since that day fourteen years ago, but the annual Parham fair remains much the same. This years fair completes 109 years of rural tradition in the area. As with most small fairs, they are really family affairs (pardon the pun). From the time my grandfather exhibited his registered Holsteins in the early 1900's to my children showing their 4-H calves this year, our family has participated in every fair over those last 100 years. When my father was a boy, they led their cattle the five miles to the fairgrounds. Now we load them on our trailer and have them there in about fifteen minutes.The Palace is another part of the annual event where the whole family likes to get involved. It is in this building where the baking, sewing, crafts, fruits, vegetables, canned goods, flowers, and crops are exhibited for a bit of prize money and a little friendly rivalry. Once, Norman Cronk and my father each entered a sunflower in the tallest category. Rodger Howes brought his in and discovered it lacked a few inches, so he put it on a pail, just for fun, to increase the height. The judge didnt notice; Rodger won the prize and a good laugh was had all around!Preparation for the yearly gathering of the community involves a lot of volunteer help who give their all to see that the fair provides a little something for everyone. Melville Good, one of our more experienced directors, always provides his wit and wisdom in handling the master of ceremonies duty. He often relates the story of the pipe band swiping his mothers angel food cake from the palace. They wouldnt admit to it, but they did give back the plate!" It doesnt matter what you do or who are, everyone mingles freely at the little rural fairs. A sports celebrity and a well-known Hollywood actor blended right in with everyone else at this years fair. My father said to me on Friday night of the fair, I got caught up on a lot of visiting today. There is always something or someone to see at the fair. Every year, the cost of running the fair seems to increase. With fund raising throughout the year involving dinners, collecting ads, and canvassing for donations, the fair continues to exist. The gate receipts only provide about 1/3 of the money needed to put on such an event, so community involvement from individuals and business is very important to the fair. As agriculture declines in the area, these rural fairs will probably change more over the next 20 years than they have in the last 100 years. At one time, everyone was involved with farming, but now many rural children have never seen a cow being milked, eaten fresh produce right out of the garden, or heard a rooster crow. Hopefully, these fairs will always exist to provide a link between agriculture and the communities that surround it. Late Saturday afternoon as the fair was winding down, I watched Mel Good head slowly toward his car, quite likely thinking of past fairs from his 81 years. The two young Gordon boys were loading their jersey calves for the trip home to Elgin, pleased with their winnings, and eager to come back next year. It was time for me to head home as well. Cows were waiting to be milked and I was tired out. I thought to myself and smiled, Erika, Ive been to the fair!
With the participation of the Government of Canada