This grandma fulfillng dream born in childhood at Canfield Fair

CANFIELD

In her pink sneakers, 2-year-old Elley Sayles followed her grandmother into the Canfield Fair’s Arts and Crafts building Tuesday morning.

Grandma Melody Sayles of Boardman brought in her two cakes to compete in the baked goods competition.

Elley not only helped to bring the cakes in, but she also helped her grandma in the kitchen.

It’s truly “A Family Affair,” which happens to be this year’s Canfield Fair theme.

The Arts and Crafts Building at the corner of Austintown and Beaver drives has thousands of submissions to view over the course of the six-day fair, including Melody’s cake submissions: a fondant-designed mushroom fairy house and a pink and gray elephant cake for her Elley.

“I just like it,” Sayles said of entering into the fair’s competitions. “I grew up in Boardman and come to the fair every year.”

Sayles would always look at the entries in the Arts and Crafts building and think maybe one day her entry would be on display.

“And now, I’m doing it,” she said.

This is her fifth year entering the Canfield Fair arts and crafts competitions.

Sayles, like so many of the participants, has been baking for years.

She’s won ribbons at the fair, but that’s not why she enters.

“I don’t really care,” she said. “I do it because I like doing it.”

Read more about the contests in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.