Family fare: County Fair prepared to open its gates
By TIM LATSHAW OBSERVER Staff Writer
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7/23/2007 - Everything was moving at a fair pace Sunday as directors, volunteers, vendors, carnival workers and entrants all worked to ready the Chautauqua County Fair for its opening today.
"I think it's going extremely well," fair board president Jim Tytka Sr. said. "Rides are moving in, a lot of the vendors are up. Their joints are up; a lot of them are ready to do business."
Most of the fair's biggest stars, the animals, had already arrived by Sunday afternoon. Many arrived a day earlier and some judging had already been completed before spectators walk through the gates.
"We're actually a day or two ahead because we have to be in order to get all the animals in order and papers in order — identifications made — so when we open, everything is legit and legal and on track," Agriculture Chairman Larry Brown said.
Denise Saxton, owner of Saxton-Hill in Cassadaga, and her crew brought six cows and four heifers for competition and display. Their area is decorated with red trim — their farm color — and lights, along with photos of some of their past champion bovines.
Saxton said her planning for the fair began one month in advance given the amount of paperwork that needs to be completed to clear an animal through health and agriculture regulations.
"You try to pick out the ones that will look and show best at the time of the show," Saxton said, adding she began with a pool of 27, which was narrowed down to 20 and finally the 10 currently on show. Above all cows on are signs that tell of their pedigrees, production figures and other facts.
Floral Hall was closed off most of Sunday for judging of 2,842 entries into the fair's arts and crafts competitions. As expected, it took some time; judges began at 10 a.m. and ended around 5 p.m.
Beckie Huber-Ross, general superintendent of Floral Hall, said that of the 11 different categories of entries, two have become increasingly popular this year.
"Photography is huge, and collectibles," she said. "They just blew out of their department areas and we had to create more display area and everything, but those two are very big."
Although there has been a bit of a decline in entries for more traditional crafts, such as preserves making, the skill that goes behind those entries has not diminished.
"We have tons of talented people, really," Huber-Ross said. "The needlework is amazing. We have homespun yarn, and it's kind of awesome that those things are still done; that someone still knows how to do that."
To put all of the above elements and more together into one fair takes a coordinated effort and lots of planning. After one fair ends, the board is back that September to begin planning for next year. Events are booked, drills are run, codes are updated and backup measures are organized to help make sure the fair will be hit with as few surprises as possible.
A few convenient and secure additions to the fair this year include a Webcam for those who live farther away to monitor the weather before deciding to come out, bilingual signs on the midway and added fire safety equipment in most barns.
"When the event comes together well and the weather cooperates, it's terrific," Brown said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking and unsettling, but when it starts to roll on successfully, then you're like, 'Yep, we did well.'"
Those who bring their handiwork or prize animals for display also find the fair a satisfying result for all the hard work they put into it as well. Ben Nickerson and his sons, Brandon and Aden, worked cooperatively to prepare a young bovine for show.
"We wouldn't do it if it wasn't a little bit of fun," Ben Nickerson said.
Fair gates will open today at 9 a.m. However, the midway rides will not open until 1 p.m. or after the state inspection of all of the rides is completed.
"I think it's going extremely well," fair board president Jim Tytka Sr. said. "Rides are moving in, a lot of the vendors are up. Their joints are up; a lot of them are ready to do business."
Most of the fair's biggest stars, the animals, had already arrived by Sunday afternoon. Many arrived a day earlier and some judging had already been completed before spectators walk through the gates.
"We're actually a day or two ahead because we have to be in order to get all the animals in order and papers in order — identifications made — so when we open, everything is legit and legal and on track," Agriculture Chairman Larry Brown said.
Denise Saxton, owner of Saxton-Hill in Cassadaga, and her crew brought six cows and four heifers for competition and display. Their area is decorated with red trim — their farm color — and lights, along with photos of some of their past champion bovines.
Saxton said her planning for the fair began one month in advance given the amount of paperwork that needs to be completed to clear an animal through health and agriculture regulations.
"You try to pick out the ones that will look and show best at the time of the show," Saxton said, adding she began with a pool of 27, which was narrowed down to 20 and finally the 10 currently on show. Above all cows on are signs that tell of their pedigrees, production figures and other facts.
Floral Hall was closed off most of Sunday for judging of 2,842 entries into the fair's arts and crafts competitions. As expected, it took some time; judges began at 10 a.m. and ended around 5 p.m.
Beckie Huber-Ross, general superintendent of Floral Hall, said that of the 11 different categories of entries, two have become increasingly popular this year.
"Photography is huge, and collectibles," she said. "They just blew out of their department areas and we had to create more display area and everything, but those two are very big."
Although there has been a bit of a decline in entries for more traditional crafts, such as preserves making, the skill that goes behind those entries has not diminished.
"We have tons of talented people, really," Huber-Ross said. "The needlework is amazing. We have homespun yarn, and it's kind of awesome that those things are still done; that someone still knows how to do that."
To put all of the above elements and more together into one fair takes a coordinated effort and lots of planning. After one fair ends, the board is back that September to begin planning for next year. Events are booked, drills are run, codes are updated and backup measures are organized to help make sure the fair will be hit with as few surprises as possible.
A few convenient and secure additions to the fair this year include a Webcam for those who live farther away to monitor the weather before deciding to come out, bilingual signs on the midway and added fire safety equipment in most barns.
"When the event comes together well and the weather cooperates, it's terrific," Brown said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking and unsettling, but when it starts to roll on successfully, then you're like, 'Yep, we did well.'"
Those who bring their handiwork or prize animals for display also find the fair a satisfying result for all the hard work they put into it as well. Ben Nickerson and his sons, Brandon and Aden, worked cooperatively to prepare a young bovine for show.
"We wouldn't do it if it wasn't a little bit of fun," Ben Nickerson said.
Fair gates will open today at 9 a.m. However, the midway rides will not open until 1 p.m. or after the state inspection of all of the rides is completed.
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