Tracy Rehberg, Contributing Editor

What’s Fair is Fair
Across America the end of summer is marked by the coolness at dusk, the grumble of school bus engines and the shimmer of an old tradition: the state fair nearest you. Most originated in the mid-1800s as an opportunity to gather to exchange ideas and agricultural methods. By the turn of the century, state fairs had become a national pastime – a place to see and be seen, then leave a little informed and a lot amused.

This surprised me, frankly, since I had set out to write an article on the degradation of the state fair standard. My pretense was that because fairs’ beginnings were rooted in the development of farming, which later evolved into the promotion of agriculture, the emphasis on scream-evoking rides and snacks via vat of deep-fry oil, while delightful, was off-base and in all likelihood a sad reflection of society. My theory was hogwash.

Throughout the 150-year history of state fairs, sideshows and amusements and a full pot of other social ills have been there. It seems the fairs’ transition from ag to entertainment was more of an early leap into marriage. In fact, the 1840s birth of traveling sideshows (and their pay-to-see hoaxes and deformities) coincided precisely with the dawn of the fair system, which began with the New York State Fair in 1941 and the Michigan State Fair in 1949. While traveling carnivals and “freak shows” existed on their own, they easily prospered under the umbrella of the state fair.

By the turn of the century, state fairs were not only an esteemed way to display and award merit to all types of livestock, crops and home goods, they were a great place to seek a thrill. In 1890, the first full fair midway twirled into operation.

The adventure wouldn’t be complete without the experience of barefaced overeating. And so, they did. Food stands have always been fundamental to the fair experience. One of the most coveted treats at my venue, the North Carolina State Fair, is the ham biscuit first offered by Cary United Methodist Church in the late 1800s. Today, the church makes 1,800 pounds of country ham and sixty-six 25-pound bags of flour “sell like hotcakes.” Hmm. I wonder from where that expression came?

Truth is, for more than 150 years, folks have probably left the fair with stomachaches. Eating to excess while wandering the park is such an integral part of the scene that we even have state fairs to thank for the invention of dining on a stick. The concept began with the invention of the Fletcher’s Corny Dog introduced at the 1942 Texas State Fair. The Fletchers now sell more than 500,000 dogs each Texas fair season. These days fare on a stick includes foot-long corn dogs, too, in addition to all types of meat, from beef and pork to chicken and alligator. If you’re not in a carnivorous mood, other items such as deep-fried pickles, mac-n-cheese, cotton candy, candied apples, pie and fried Snickers bars can also be purchased ala stick. If you’d rather skip the fancy stick and eat with your fingers – no problem. Fairgoers everywhere can enjoy the following deep-fried finger cuisine: Twinkies, Oreos, ice cream dogs, funnel cakes, blooming onions, gizzards and sauerkraut balls. Yes, these are all battered and fried.

There is no doubt that America’s taste in fair food has evolved or perhaps skidded disastrously into unwholesomeness. Our taste in exhibits has changed, too. In 1895, attendees across the land marveled most at the chicken incubator. Nowadays, farmers and ranchers have easier ways to brush up on new technology than gathering at the fair. So today, we marvel most at exhibits like the Butter Cow.

If you’re not familiar, the Butter Cow is a life-size dairy cow sculpted from 600 pounds of butter in a 42-degree cooler every year at the Iowa State Fair by the Butter Lady, Norma “Duffy” Lyons. The tradition began in Ohio in 1903. Iowa followed in 1911 and Duffy, farm wife and mother of nine, has carried the torch proudly for more than 40 years. She told the Des Moines Register that she’d stop, “…if it gets to the point where I’m not good anymore, where it doesn’t look like a cow, then that’ll be time to give it up.”

Thankfully, as midway rides grow faster and flashier, it is still things like a cow molded from a real agricultural product that fair fans find most endearing. Several states offer popular interactive “day in the life of a farmer” exhibits and the 4-H livestock barns are always open and inviting although, in many states, you won’t find much traffic there. Naturally, what is true of the fair is true of America herself: our agricultural core has diminished. While, the many agrarian states still fill their livestock barns, other states do not. In 1975, out of 7.5 million 4-Hers, 32 percent were from farms and ranches. In 1994, 4-H membership had plummeted by two million participants and only 13 percent represented ag interests.

As our agricultural base shrinks and times change, so will the state fair curriculum. But the organism will continue to thrive for the reasons it always has. First, state fairs are big business. They were established to boost the economy, and succeeded. They still do. Large venues attract a million or more visitors and infuse hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. Finally, fairs are the epitome of amusement, where anyone who cares to brave the crowds can have a good time.

Renowned photojournalist Arthur Grace claimed in his book State Fair that we’ve only two obligations when it comes to fairs: to have a great time and to eat until we drop. He described that a fair, in all its glory and weirdness, represents the spirit of America. And, the reason it has endured for so long is because, Grace wrote, “…above all, a state fair is democratic – everyone is welcome…”

I concede to what must be true. The fairs, originally intended to strengthen and promote agriculture, have been enriched because of these roots. Ag, however, is not the element that makes fairs flourish. The secret ingredient is fun. The kind of fun that only comes from one hundred carnival rides and as many fried foods, and events such as chainsaw sculpting, play acting chickens, husband-calling contests and demolition derbies.

Each year, state fairs pay advertising agencies big money to characterize their event and lure the masses with a flashy tagline. There are a few slogans that I think say it all, like North Carolina’s “Feed Your Senses”; Iowa’s “Only at the Fair”; and Texas’ “Let Yourself Go.” Sounds like some pretty fair advice.