Food, fun and festivities made up this year’s Five County Fair. From Sept. 18 and Sept. 22, people from Appomattox, Charlotte, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward County came out to enjoy this annual event.
After paying the cover charge to gain access to the fair, people were able to buy tickets to enjoy the rides if they so chose to do. K There were several rides to enjoy, including everyone’s old favorite, the Ferris wheel. Aside from the rides, there were also several games available for play. The wide variety of games ranged from fishing to balloon water races. Several men even went up to test their strength by swinging a large hammer in hopes of launching a little ball upward to ring a bell. For the fairgoers who preferred more leisurely entertainment, there was also a game of Bingo going on under a pavilion. Throughout the fairgrounds, the sweet smells of classic fair foods could be inhaled. There was popcorn, cotton candy, funnel cakes and caramel apples. Freshman Hannah Throckmorton described her main reason for going to the Five County Fair by saying, “I love a good fair, and I love a good caramel apple.” There were also many attractions at the fair in the form of contests. Local residents were able to submit food, plants, arts and crafts, and more to compete for prizes.
In the food contests, people submitted jelly, preserves, cornbread, beans, cake, fudge, cookies, meats and additional fairground favorites.
“The giant piece of bacon amazed me. I had never seen bacon so big!” said Throckmorton.
Competing in the arts and crafts department, people submitted arts and crafts such as photos, drawings, wreaths, painted rocks, wine bottle vases, homemade quilts and jewelry. Junior Rachel Cook commented on the drawings people made, saying, “Some of them were really good and looked like they were done by professionals.”
The plants that were awarded prizes included large sunflower stalks, watermelon, flowers, potatoes, tomatoes, large corn stalks, hay and more.
Animals could also be found at the Five County Fair this year. Some of these animals included goats, chickens, roosters, rabbits, sheep, ducks and cows. Most of the animals were caged for fairgoers to walk around and look at, and some had ribbons in front of them to signify that they won in their category. If they were not in their cages, though, the animals could be found in the showroom with their owners and judges.
Cook said, “I love animals, so my favorite part of the fair was definitely looking at them. I especially liked the cows; they were so cute!”
Throckmorton also enjoyed admiring the animals. She said, “The bunnies were adorable. I also liked the cows, but they were really big and kind of scary.”
Despite the rain storm on Saturday, the Five County Fair was full of fun for anybody who went out.
“I never miss my county fair back home,” said Throckmorton. “While this one wasn’t my home fair, it was still a lot of fun. I’m glad my friends and I went to it.”
The Ferris Wheel was one of the several rides fea- tured at the Five County Fair.
