Fair gets started under cool conditions
Despite all the off-season rain that has resulted in standing water nearly everywhere, the 92nd annual Southwest Florida and Lee County Fair got off without a hitch, thanks to a lot of work and a little ingenuity Thursday night.
Fairgoers aplenty took advantage of the $15 opening night rate to get a taste of all the rides, food, shows and excitement.
And while it was cold, at last it didn’t rain like as it has for the past few openers., good thing, because the grounds were pretty saturated especially after more rain fell Wednesday.
Frank Sherkus, fair chairman, said they had to do lots of site prep beforehand, meaning they had to start work just after the new year.
“The rain made the property wet and we had a big muddy area. We brought in hundreds of tons of rock and spread it, rolled and compacted, to give the fairgoers and vendors a better surface,” Sherkus said. “It was so muddy we wouldn’t have been able to get the rides in or the livestock.”
Sherkus said they anticipated these problems, as the early winter was also wet. The RV shows made them realize the grounds were saturated and something had to be done.
Everything was put to the test Thursday night, with a good crowd coming in for the “sneak peek,” which gives fairworkers the opportunity of fine-tuning things and trying out the new rides before things got insanely busy over the weekend.
Inside the civic center, the schools and organizations got their tables, booths, the Creative Living section and community stage set up for the opening.
Also inside were Billy Bob and Loretta, two animated western characters who greet and say so long to the customers who enter and leave the fair.
“This is our third year at the fair. There’s good food, the people are crazy, but fun, and we love all the rides,” Billy Bob said. “Actually, she likes the rides.”
“Last year I had to ride the bronco and fell off. I would ride the Himalaya but I might lose my hat, or my head,” Loretta said. “I need to keep my hair looking pretty.”
The feature performers got a chance to work on their show. Scott the Magician performed his Crazy Comedy Magic Show with the help of Jacob Parent, 7, as his assistant, while the food vendors sold their delicious, guilty pleasure fare for the first time.
Meanwhile, on the midway, Payton Ziegler and Kagan Vann, both 13, were shooting a water pistol at a target and winning prizes for each other, with Ziegler’s parents, Dyan and Evan, watching.
And what’s a fair without the livestock? By Friday there was a barn full of rabbits, goats, swine, chickens and other animals raised by 4-H members, waiting to be judged and sold.
Darren Watkins, a member of the fair’s livestock committee running the goat department, said livestock is the backbone of any county or regional fair, which not only serves the community, but offers life lessons for the youths who raise the animals, which includes his son Ethan, 10.
“They learn responsibility and how to care for an animal. How much it is to feed an animal, the market value for their animal, net profit and loss,” Watkins said. “And it isn’t just livestock. They do civic duties and they get a lot of everything in 4-H.”
There will be five goat shows over the next 10 days and national shows from breeders from all over Florida and Georgia, Watkins said, with the 4-H kids coming in next week to compete and do fun activities.
It promises to be a busy 11 days. Moonlight Madness kicked off the first full night of the fair on Friday, with weekly features including Harry Chapin Food Bank night on Monday, 12 buck Tuesday, Senior and Military Day on Wednesday with gates opening at 11 a.m., and $12 Thursdays.
Sherkus said he always want to improve attendance (which has been at or near 100,000 the previous two years), but, most important, is making the fair as family friendly and safe as possible. If that happens, it will be a success.
“We work hard for family entertainment and hopefully more people will come. It’s not about more people, it’s about people having a quality time while they’re here,” Sherkus said. “We look forward to having a great 11 days and provide our community with great fair fun.”
For more information on the fair, go to www.swflcfair.com .