Wednesday, August 31, 2011
There’s always something old and something new at the Canfield Fair. Just two for-instances, this year the antique engines and farm machines will return to their familiar spot for all to see every day. Down at the grandstand, the U.S. National Freestyle Motocross Championship Series will be held Thursday night, pitting the best riders in America and Canada against each other and the course obstacles.
For many, a motorcycle catapulted 20 feet into the air may be more exciting than, say, a horse-powered treadmill, but both have their fans.
And that, in a nutshell, is the enduring attraction of the 165th edition of the Canfield Fair, where, as the saying goes, there is always something to crow about.
And that applies to men, women and children of all ages.
We know that the many attractions — educational and entertaining — to be found at the Canfield Fair have already been reported on in the news pages and will be reported on throughout the next six days, but some bear repeating here.
The perennial favorites of Demolition Derby, harness racing and truck and tractor pulls will be found at the grandstand, along with marquee-quality entertainment from Reba McEntire, on her ”All the Women I Am” tour, and Blake Shelton and Chris Young.
Don’t take shortcuts
But no one can resist taking the long way to the grandstand, and along the midway they will find some of the best fair food East of Texas (which claims to have the best fair in the nation), as well as rides, games of skill and the odd attraction or two.
In the exhibition buildings and barns there are horses, cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and pocket pets, as well as apples, peaches, pears, tomatoes, beans, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and squash. Examples of handiwork range from baked goods, to stitch work to crafts and fine art.
Commercial exhibitors will have their assorted wares on display, again, with something for everyone.
At various times throughout the fair, cows will be milked, sheep will be shorn and wool will be spun right before your eyes. And if you have a taste for something exotic, you can even grab an elephant’s ear to sustain you on the ride home (we don’t know whether they come from African or Indian elephants).
The fair opens today and runs through Labor Day and is not to be missed. Also not to be missed is an opportunity to pay tribute to the hundreds of people — the majority of them civic-minded volunteers — who work tirelessly throughout the year to make these six days among the best in the Mahoning Valley and the Canfield Fair one of the best in the nation.