The Delaware County Fair is always one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year, my daughter is 5½, and the “half” continues to be a really big deal for her. She tells me when she was 5 years old she could not do a lot of things, but now that she is 5½, she is a big girl and can do a lot more.
My daughter being 5½ has been a big adjustment in our house because she has started kindergarten. It has been a huge adjustment for not only my daughter, but also for her parents. I am thankful she loves kindergarten, but she often tells us she wants to spend more time with us. I know it will not be long until she does not want as much mom and dad time, so we are trying to enjoy it while it lasts!
The fair was awesome! We enjoyed a large amount of fair food. We had pepperoni sticks, cotton candy, caramel apples, ice cream, funnel cakes and kettle corn. My favorite was the Buckeye Valley food booth. I always get a cheeseburger with everything, chili, and a chocolate milk. It was, as always, delicious. My daughter’s favorite was fair fries. We had more than a healthy number of buckets of fair fries last week.
I have so many great memories at the fair as a kid, including showing livestock and participating in junior fair events. My friends and I spent many hours in the arcade that is no longer at the fair. I also enjoyed football games in the Colosseum and the many rides and games we played. Some of my best memories include hanging out with friends in the animal barns.
But this year, I think my time at the fair can best be described as a glorified pack mule. I spent most of my time carrying my daughter’s food and drink and prize possessions that she got at the fair. This included stuffed animals she won and the free items handed out at the Merchant Building.
My daughter loved the many rides at the fair. She enjoyed the dinosaur/alligator ride, the spinning pirate ships, and the trampolines, but her favorite two rides were the swings and the fun slide.
While we enjoyed the food and the rides, I enjoyed the junior fair. I am thankful so many young people participated in the junior fair. When I was a kid, I loved to take sheep and pigs to the fair. The junior fair provides a great opportunity for children to learn about livestock. It also provides great life lessons not only about caring for the animals, but also about preparing a budget and selling your livestock.
I was happy to purchase livestock at the annual auctions. This is something I have done for over 20 years. I have great memories of selling my livestock at the fair. I am glad to see so many young people participating!
For me, no fair would be complete without taking my daughter to see her grandpa’s picture in the Agriculture Hall of Fame. We talked about how important family, agriculture, and the Delaware County Fair were to my dad. I love that when I ask my daughter what is in the Junior Fair Building, she answered “grandpa’s picture.”
But, my favorite memory of the fair this year was my daughter and her friends. Several times, she would run into a friend, and they would greet each other with a great big hug. Then, they would run, hand in hand, to a ride. After the ride, she ran up to us and told us it was the best ride ever, and she could not believe she had such a great time with her friend on the ride.
My wife and I are exhausted from the fair. It was a long week with a lot of fun and a lot of memories made. I am thankful next year’s fair is a year away, but I am also very excited for the next Delaware County Fair!
Randall D. Fuller is judge of the Domestic Relations Division of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Fuller is a life-long resident of Delaware County.
