Growing up in a small town, the county fair was always a great attraction. You were able to meet friends there and there were lots of things going on. Most fun was the midway, where for a few bucks you could go on rides, play games, and have cotton candy.Recently, the Greene County Fair has apparently done away with the midway, and the fair is just a series of scheduled shows and exhibits. Why is this? Why have other counties not followed suit? I suspect the local police prefer it this way.
The midway is a big rip-off, unless you are including rides as a part of your lament. Now there's more room for parking for all those big shows.
ReplyDeleteThere was a fairly famous (in country music) performer at this year's fair. Can't remember his name (I did say it was country, right?).
I drove by that weekend and it seemed there was a pretty big crowd.
I say the committee should be commended for their fair management (unless there's no rides).
As far as the rip off goes, I wish I had a nickel for every nickel I wasted on the midway.
ReplyDeleteThen I could buy Diamond Dave a football.
The loss of the midway can be attributed to two factors; in fact, maybe one. The last carnival hired for the Greene County Fair was thoroughly inspected by local law enforcement. This explains the repeated occurrence of midget sitings in Greene and Dallas counties that Jefferson Iowa News has been loathe to report. Illegal alien midgets are hard to track, usually finding cash only employment at quick lube establishments in Ralston, Bagley, Bayard, and other small towns where they can easily blend in with current smaller residents.
ReplyDeleteI went to the DBQ County fair tonight. They sell beer. Is beer sold at the Greene County fair? Beer could make the ripoff midway bearable.
ReplyDeleteFor the fair in general; less family farms, less farmers, less 4H kids...
ReplyDeleteGreene County Fair had motocross event Friday night, Saturday night was tractor pulls, and Sunday was the country concert featuring Jason Brown. Sunday night also had a teen dance. They did sell beer at the grandstand events, pretty cheap too. $2 for a tall boy Budweiser products. The midway, as previously stated is a money pit for kids and parents. Still being local, I praise the effort of the fair board (no I'm not a member of it) for their work to keep fun activities 3 nights in a row.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to the State Fair in ten years and even longer for the Greene County Fair. I think the Fair Board is probably doing a fine job keeping it profitable by making significant change with the times. There are less farms, less people and yet they seem to find some good entertainment for those that wish to go. They even had fireworks on the last evening to end the event. It still seems to be a good event for youth that raise animals for showing. Maybe next year they could have Diamond Dave give a football demonstration!
ReplyDeleteI will give D. Dave a signed football if this football thing will end. Rich - you were correct. Rick - I will send it to you. Make sure he gets it. I will send instructions on its use. Make sure he gets these.
ReplyDeleteWe need to keep some semblance of a midway, if at all possible. Why would kids or families come who aren't in 4H or interested in the grandstand entertainment? If I went to the fair, I'd take a swing down the midway, kind of like mall walking.
ReplyDeleteI agree the carney games can be a ripoff. Better to learn something at 10 then 25.
Yes, we all know midways are ripoffs. But I miss having rides, especially. There is nothing to speak of for small children under ten or so to do. The fair is no longer for them. Shows are nice for the adults. Yes, the fair board is bringing in decent enough adult entertainment. Perhaps their motto should be: "The Greene County Fair - Not for children anymore."
ReplyDeleteIt is just hard telling what hoops a carnival would be made to jump through in order to set up in Jefferson, much the same has it is hard to imagine what reasons the local law enforcement would come up with to keep it out.
ReplyDeleteIt also wouldn't surprise me if local merchants are actually in favor of a scaled-down fair; one that offered these shows and exhibits to bring people to town, but few places to spend money other than around the square.
At the end of the day, it's all just more of the same.
First of all, Jeffersonians need to quit patting the fair board on the back for their efforts. Their efforts seem to me, at least, to be the very minimal required. They have all year long to arrange entertainment, and they hired a country act, and arranged a motorcycle race and a tractor pull. They managed to do all that booking IN ONE YEAR. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThey should quit trying to hire large, impressive acts. They really aren't necessary. When I was attending this fair, tractor pulls were in the afternoon, and entertainment, such as Hank Thompson and Kitty Wells were that same night. Stock car racing was held every week. The fair board should look at providing more acts, using cheaper or even free talent. That is good enough for Greene County.
You need to bring in a kids' carnival, even if it is the size of the ones found in Kmart parking lots. Kids go to the fair for the rides. Look, the problem with not having events and games and rides for kids is that it creates even more problems down the road. If kids aren't interested in attending the fair nowadays, what happens when they grow up? Exactly. They don't attend the fair. The fair board should be looking ahead several years and trying to develop positive attendance trends, especially among young people. Instead, they prefer to boast about obtaining a semi-big act that makes them sound good today.
There will be no Greene County fair by the year 2020.
By the way, Marty, if there was anything significant going on at the fair, you can bet that the merchants downtown would all be closed.
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