Tag: state fair

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Americana Journal Who Am I

Dating at the Fair

 

Keeping a tradition

One of the first dates I asked JoAnne to go on was to the Steuben County Fair.  We remember eating spaghetti at an Italian stand where I learned how to twirl spaghetti on my fork against a spoon rather than cut it up.   After that, one of our annual dates was a trip to the New York State Fair.   While we lived in Syracuse, we kept this tradition going by visiting the fair annually.   We love ogling all the exhibits.  JoAnne seeks out the needlework shows since that is one of her hobbies.  I love the farm animal and farm equipment exhibits because of my farm upbringing.    Both of us enjoy historical and travel exhibits and some vendors exhibits, though there are always more of these latter type than anyone can handle.   We admit, we missed our traditional trip to the NYS Fair this year.   But when we heard about the Big E, an exposition for all six New England states, we jumped at the chance to go.   Maybe this would be much like the Fair. 

The Big E

JoAnne and I arrived through gate 10 in the late morning on Friday, Sept. 27.   It was about the only day we were free to go.  But the weather was perfect and it was the day the big horses were showing –perfect for me.   We start with the nearest farm building which today houses an eclectic collection of alpacas, goats, and sheep.   We ask a question or two of an alpaca keeper and go through the wool exhibit too.   Outside is the butter sculpture.  Now there is a memory—

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

Horses at the NY State Fair

Watching the horses

I don’t remember JoAnne and I ever stopping to watch the big hitches in the coliseum before.  Yesterday was the day.   We watched four different classes during the afternoon horse show.   In the third class, the six horse hitches came roaring in.  

Six horse hitches

These are the big Percheron draft horses.  According to Wikipedia, “the  Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in northern France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work.”   There was thunder in the air as each horse weighs about a ton.  Three hitches came in at one time and then the ringmaster invited all nine in.  It was quite a sight and sound.   

Unicorn hitches

Next in were the Belgian draft horses hitched together in the unicorn formation.   This consisted of a team of horses and one single horse hitched in front of the team in the center—a lead horse.    Belgians are a heavy draft horse and the largest horse on record was a Belgian.   I love their colors—chestnut body and contrasting ivory mane and tail.   As with the six horse hitches, every hitch had a second person on board who hopped off the finely finished wagon and served as the handler of the lead horse when the team stopped.   This person also was in charge of what we used to call in dairy cattle exhibiting, the showmanship aspect—helping the horses position themselves, making sure they were presentable for the judge. 

JoAnne and I both enjoyed our time in the coliseum very much.  If I had a little less to do, I would like to go back tomorrow when the six horse hitches will return along with eight horse hitches. 

ladies and carts
six horse hitches
beautiful horses and wagons too
There were nine hitches in this class
Next were the Belgians
There were lots of them as well
Here is the whole line-up

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

State fair fun at the butterfly house

Since our dating days, JoAnne and I have loved going to the fair.   In fact, I took her to the Bath fair on one of our first dates and later to the NY State Fair.   Since we have been going for many years, we look for the unique things.   Usually there is something that just happens to be there that year or is happening only on the day or at the time you go that you have not seen before.   This year, we found a butterfly house in the horticulture building.   It was filled with monarch butterflies and was a popular attraction.  For a dollar, you could attempt to feed them using a Q-tip and a nectar the keepers had prepared.   We didn’t try to feed them but they loved our big sun hats as resting places.   It made for some light and delightful moments as the pics show. 

my wife in her sun hat
the author in his sun hat
Close-up of the monarch butterfly

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

More state fair fun

Big concerts not our thing

Concerts are a big deal at the fair!  But, for JoAnne and I, the big venue concerts are not our thing.  They are too loud, and very seldom present our kinds of music.  The one at Chevy Court on Tuesday late afternoon was so loud it was literally painful to walk out of the Center of Progress building.  So we detoured back through the building just to avoid it.   

Found two great small concerts

However, that doesn’t mean we don’t like concerts, for we do.  This year, JoAnne and I sat in on two small venue concerts while we were at the state fair.   I thoroughly enjoyed a packed concert by the Rhythm Airs at the New Time Theater.   The group’s big band style seems to appeal mostly to older folks, but some younger folks also came in and seemed to love it too.   My delight was increased by the fact that I knew several people in the group.  It was too bad that it was interrupted by a fire drill.  I heard, but couldn’t confirm, that a cooking display crew burned the “toast”…      

Later, we sat in the Pan African Village Theater and listened with relish and joy to Five for Life, a black a cappella gospel group– what energy, what talent, and what enthusiasm.   They had good voices and exhibited fine stage presence as well.   My enjoyment was increased by our common Christian beliefs, even though we come from different cultural streams.   I am a great fan of quartet singing, gospel singing, and a cappella singing, so Five for Life was a real treat. 

These two concerts made the day really special!

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

Best NYS Fair Food

I’m known as a decent judge of food.  So I have to weigh in (pun not intended) on this one.  Two of my favorite fair foods this year are not on the poll list.   So I will make my own list.  My wife and I eat at the fair every year.  The last couple years we have gone twice so that has increased the chances of a good meal at the fair.   Here’s my 1,2,3 list of great foods.

1.  Jerk Hut – Curry chicken on rice and red beans with cabbage and plantain.   — Great tasting meal, just enough spice, lots of food too, with Jamacian flair at a great price.   Relish the taste, spit out the bones, go away satisfied.

2. Gianelli Sausage with peppers –  always a favorite – Gianelli is tops

3.  Apple dumpling with vanilla caramel sauce, ice cream and whipped cream — Good apple, cooked just right.

You can check out the poll that Syracuse. com is taking at:  http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2011/08/best_of_central_new_york_vote_for_your_favorite_nys_fair_food_poll.html

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Americana Who Am I

A Cooper at the State Fair

Few things say Americana quite like a fair in August.    When I was a boy, I was in 4-H and since I lived on a dairy farm, my project was raising dairy cattle.   Each year we showed the cattle at the fair.    I was assigned to care for them; so I literally lived at the fair, sleeping in the hay by the cattle, for the week of the Bath fair, one of the oldest fairs in the US (http://steubencountyfair.org/).  

JoAnne also reminded me that one of our very first dates, the first summer we met, was to the Bath fair.    Later we started visiting the NY state fair, beginning a tradition for us that continues today   (http://www.nysfair.org/).   One of my favorite stops is the Agricultural Exhibit Building.   And one of our favorite things about it is the way it features old time skills and crafts that are being lost today.  

This year I was fascinated by a young man, David Salvetti, who was showcasing the old-time cooper’s trade.   He was fashioning a wooden bucket.   The conversation moved to whether or not the bucket would leak.  I suggested that the swelling of the wood in water would seal it.   He instructed me that if it was well made, it would not leak without relying on the swelling of the wood; and that if it were shoddily made, it would leak even with the swelling and he quickly and clearly showed me why.   I was very impressed.  David, who hails from Oswego, NY, is only 19, is self-taught, and his cooper work and knowledge of his craft is way more advanced than his age.  I asked if I could take some pictures to show you Americana lovers.

David Salvetti works on a wooden bucket with hand tool
the old style craftsman\'s bench David works from
a large wooden container completed

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