First-time fairgoer: Reporter finds fun via 4-H exhibits, animals, milkshake, more

Like thousands of Clark County residents, I had the Clark County Fair on my list of must-do summer events. But unlike many longtime fairgoers, I was experiencing it for the first time.

Since joining The Columbian, I’ve spent the last year seeing the county through a different lens than most of my colleagues who are longtime Clark County residents. Oftentimes when I meet sources for interviews or go out on an assignment, I get to observe the different pockets of the county for the first time.

When I learned the Clark County Fair has been the region’s largest gathering of agriculture, entertainment and amusements for over 15 decades, I was eager to experience the “best 10 days of summer” and see how the county’s rapid growth and development are reflected in its biggest annual event.

Leslie Phernetton, 69, grew up close to the fairgrounds when Ridgefield was still largely made up of family farms and agricultural lands. The fairgrounds itself was often used as a community hub during the year.

She lived in Ridgefield on her mother’s farm until her mother died in October, and the property was sold. By then, she had begun to see how difficult it was for many families to make a living from the land, as the rising costs of farming and raising livestock put that way of life increasingly out of reach.

“It’s sad to see it,” Phernetton said. “The only thing that’s constant is change.”

Despite the fact that the agricultural roots of the Clark County Fair are not as strong as they once were, I still felt them prominently when visiting the 4-H exhibits where youth displayed with excitement, and sometimes annoyance, with their cats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and cows.

I was surprised to see so many local farms showing off their livestock.

One young girl I met told me she had been raising her chicken Daisy for about two to three years. She doesn’t keep track of age, but did tell me it takes time for them to become docile enough to withstand the hundreds of visitors she gets daily at the fair, which I found admirable.

The 4-H exhibits were somewhat novel to me, never having heard of the concept before my first time at the fair. I had only ever been to commercial fairs where the entertainment was limited to food and carnival rides.

Carol Taylor, 62, began showing her purebred mares in 4-H and open class at 12 years old. She was inspired by her mom, Nita Brigham, who showed her first purebred Arabian mare at the fair in 1970.

Taylor and her sister showed horses through their early adult years, a tradition her niece is the latest to continue.

“4-H really is about gaining skills and confidence,” Taylor said. “There’s all kinds of things, and it’s all about getting kids together to have a hobby, to learn the skills, and then they compete.”

In the exhibit hall, where they had 4-H exhibits and demonstrations, I took a break from the heat to walk through all different kinds of entries ranging from flower arrangements to robotics, needlework, photography, quilting and more. I was in awe of the local talent and artistry.

I ambitiously started my fair food quest with a slice of rhubarb pie topped with ice cream from the Community of Christ Church booth, a recommendation I got from my interviews. It was delicious, maybe even heavenly, but it just made me even more excited to get a milkshake from the Clark County Dairy Women’s booth.

Specifically, I needed to get a peach-flavored shake, said Jo Waddell, 78. She started our conversation by asking when I moved to Clark County because, in her mind, there’s no way a native Clark County resident has never been to the fair.

Waddell said she started going to the fair with her two sons, and then had the privilege of taking her granddaughter who is now 21. She echoed Phernetton’s sentiment about an overall decrease in livestock and agriculture, but said the magic of the fair still lives on.

“It’s a family event,” Waddell said. “It’s something you can take kids of all ages. When I go, I’m a people watcher. It’s an opportunity for people to connect rather than be on their phones.”

She estimated that over the years, she’s collected about 36 of the Dairy Women’s commemorative plastic decorated cups, her favorite part of the fair. This year’s cup celebrated the country’s 250th birthday with a cow in a rocket ship, “blasting off to fun.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Dairy Women’s shake, feeling like it was missing more chunks of fresh peach. Next year, I am going to try a different flavor. (Sorry, Jo!)

I took a break from the sweets with a burger from the Ridgefield Lions Club, another recommendation I got. It was a solid burger, and it felt good knowing that every penny was going back into the community. Volunteers run the booth and the money raised from concessions goes back into the club.

After making my way through the entire fair, and taking a restful break at DogTown, I had one last stop to make near the west side of the grounds after talking to Julie Christian, 52.

Christian was born and raised in Clark County, and as a kid, her parents took her to the fair almost every year. As an adult, she continued the tradition with her sons, now 20 and 16. In 2006, her oldest spent 13 days in the NICU after he was born but was out in time for opening day.

“We seriously considered if his first outing should be the fair, but then we were like, maybe not,” Christian said.

The spirit of the fair lives on in the Christian family through an annual photo taken from the same spot every year with the Ferris wheel in the background. In the photos she shared, her sons grow from being in a stroller to toddlers, young boys and now young men.

Christian said she doesn’t know how much longer they’ll be able to continue their tradition as her son approaches his college graduation, wondering how he’ll make it for their annual photo if he moves away.

She assures me they’ll make it work. They have to.

And in case they can’t, I decided to take part in the tradition myself.