It's Time For The Rooks County Free Fair!!

* Some of my favorite fair memories over the years include riding over and over again on the Octopus and the Tilt ‘o Whirl with my friend Tessy Korb; eating a funnel cake with my mom every year and now eating one in memory of her since I KNOW she would want me to do that; motorcycle races; harness horse races; concerts and grandstand events including Montgomery Gentry, Blackhawk, Ronnie Milsap, the Swenson Thrillcade, the Grand Old Opry with Pee Wee King and Minnie Pearl, the Lawrence Welk Show featuring Myron Floren and Jo Ann Castle; and Chris LeDoux. And we can’t forget the carnival rides with Ottaway Amusements or the Heart of America Carnival!

* Now I have to mention the food! Some of my family members make it a yearly trek to travel back to Stockton just for the Whimpy burgers and the Frito pies.

* Plus, who doesn’t love the baby bunnies, horses, goats, bucket calves, and yes, even the pigs?

* Who remembers attending the high school dances in the fenced-in area back in the day?

* Another favorite memory of mine was tossing dimes for a chance to win those cool-looking beer mugs. Tessy and I used to have quite a collection of them.

* And one of my all-time favorite memories, which would not even be considered sanitary in any way, shape, or form nowadays was the homemade water fountain that had holes drilled in a long pipe so the water could be pumped straight through it to the trough for the cattle and other animals to drink out of!

* Here’s your County Fair Survival Kit….

Jolly Ranchers in the hopes that all ranchers/farmers and their families are JOLLY1

Lotion to help the Fair go “Udderly Smooth.”

Binder Clip to help you hold everything together.