Vendors readying for Wednesday morning's opening of 171st Canfield Fair

CANFIELD

By the start of this week, thousands of vendors lined the roads.

Fair officials, Junior Fair members and people manning the fair’s buildings and booths bustled around the fairgrounds. Outside the gates, hundreds of RVs were camped out.

The only thing missing were the crowds that bring the Canfield Fair to life.

That changes today, when the 171st Canfield Fair begins. The gates open today at 8 a.m., setting off a six-day event that draws tens of thousands of people each day with the promise of good food, entertainment and the continuation of a beloved Valley tradition.

Among those who were preparing for the fair earlier this week was Chris Randles, who runs a hot-dog stand near the grandstand. Randles, of Coshocton, has been coming to the Canfield Fair for six or so years.

“I absolutely love it. I look forward to this fair every single year,” he said. “The people just amaze me.”

Joe Rimedio of Austintown, of Rimedio’s Bakery Concessions also was getting his food truck ready for the week. He’s brought his business to the Canfield Fair for about 30 years, he said.

“It’s close to home,” he said of what he likes most about the Canfield Fair. “Most of the other times we’re on the road.”

All of the bakery’s goods – such as its strudel – are made in the trailer. Rimedio said he makes 10 to 15 pans a day on busy days at the fair.

Over at the fruits building, Penny Less of Greenford was at work setting up an exhibit displaying the 127 entries in the annual amateur wine-making competition.

In the fine arts building, staff drew attention to a new, interactive attraction. Replicas of two famous paintings – “American Gothic” and “The Scream” are set up with holes cut out of the faces so fairgoers can become part of the art.

Read more about this year's event in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.