Last week, I got to go to The Great Darke County Fair in Greenville, Ohio. This year was the 160th running. I began going over twenty-five years ago when I began dating my wife. I learned very early on this was an event everyone in the county looked forward to each year.
As I was pondering what made the fair great, I observed the Italian sausage, elephant ear and walking taco stands. I listened to a barker exclaiming how easy it was to win a giant stuffed bear for my sweetheart. I sniffed the scents of each animal barn. Nothing much had changed over the years. While they sights, sounds and smells were fine, they weren’t great. What was it?I walked down the midway and saw all the kids vying for their thrill rides. I went to a concert and saw the band, Chicago. All that was fun, but great? But it was in the Grandstand I saw what makes the Darke County Fair great.
My wife was chatting with her cousins. Clusters of people were laughing and conversing on a summer’s evening. I thought back to all the times my family saw friends and relatives they hadn’t seen for years. It is the relationships that made this fair great.
Whether it is an event, a place or a business, it is frequently the community that causes it to have a special place in the hearts of people. Take away the community, and the fun disappears.
Maybe I will see you next August at the Great Darke County Fair. If so, welcome to the community. It’s a great group of people.
