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The Utah County Fair began with a parade of Utah County cities and ended with fireworks and in between was sandwiched every experience a county fair should provide. Opening Ceremony special honoree was Berniece Woofinden of Benjamin who was a 4-H powerhouse beginning in the 1950's. Woofinden and her late husband Ennis started 4-H clubs in Benajamin and Leland where strong 4-H programs still exist.
Carol and Jay Harmer, Co-chairs of the Fair gave their joint thank-you to all the volunteers and everybody that helped. Carol added "We'll do even better next year." Every event coordinator and the Harmers were unpaid volunteers and all voiced an eagerness to return.
Carol summed it up when she recounted her good experiences "This is our pay." A woman who had entered 43 different items in open class and broke down in tears as she collected her prize money. She wept as she told Carol "I need a cat scan and this money will cover my co-pay." Carol also told of an eight-year-old girl who was a day late entering a perfect pumpkin for judging. But she wanted to exhibit it anyway. Carol says "it was perfect" and put the pumpkin on display in the open class gardening section. The pumpkin was awarded a blue ribbon by the section director. The young girl had earned the seed money baby-sitting and had planted and tended that pumpkin specifically for the Fair. Both Harmers say this kind of story is why they do what they do.
So successful was the fair that parking lot volunteers from the Utah County Sheriff's office were directing cars to single, newly emptied spaces in the expanded, east-side parking lots.
Because of the layout of the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds large crowds never seemed crushing. Barns were spacious and there was plenty of bleacher space for people to sit and watch fitting and showmanship exhibitors parade their lambs, hogs or steers. The animals were a big hit with the kids and many expressed dismay the horse show ended Friday. Kids love horses, but the horse show had to make room for demolition derby cars. Cranking engines and car crashes make horses jump out of their hides. People who had never heard old John Deere tractors "pop" watched raptly as the antique tractor pull drivers-- including an 11 year old boy-- made their pulls. And clapped with the affecionados at full pulls.
Maceys Entertain Stage was next to the food court. The combination of good music of different genres and fair food kept that center area filled with families and couples. Many young families took advantage of the no admission fee, no parking fee Fair to spend a low cost day with their kids. The Utah National Guard climbing wall and bungee trampolines gave the more adventurous types a workout. The Utah Lego(R) Users Group display kept families coming back. One of the group members admitted they hid little jokes in every display. Kids were delighted to find JarJar Binks in the Planet of Toth diorama. One mother of an exhibitor said her family spend 10 hours one day at the fair and never repeated an activity.
Harmers are busy scheduling and planning for next year. The Utah County Fair 2009 will be August 12 through 15. This time it will open with a bang -- Fireworks at the Opening Ceremony.
The Utah County Fair website will continue to provide updated information throughout the year at www.utahcountyfair.org. |
