The crack of the bat, the blue sky overhead, the chatter from the infield and the hot dogs at the concession stand -- Summer in the valley marks the return of great American traditions.
Youth baseball is one.
And the Greater Grand Forks Fair and Exhibition is another. Take time this week to enjoy the fair, an event that offers a history lesson, patriotic inspiration and vivid memories all in one.
A history lesson? Sure. Elkanah Watson of Pittsfield, Mass., died in 1842; and if he were to visit Grand Forks today, he'd likely be baffled by a great many things.
But not by the fair. If he strolled over to the fairgrounds, Watson would feel pretty much at home, given that the fair he started in Pittsfield -- America's first, in 1807 -- came to feature livestock exhibitions, judging and awards.
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No, not during the first year. That "fair" consisted only of Watson under an elm tree in the Pittsfield Town Square, showing off his two Merino sheep.
But people came to look, so by 1810 -- 200 years ago -- Watson's "Berkshire Cattle Show" featured farmers showing 386 sheep, 109 oxen, nine cows, three heifers, two calves and one boar.
Within a few decades, almost every county in rural America featured an annual fair. Within a century or so, fairs played central roles in classic American stories such as "Charlotte's Web" and movies such as "State Fair" and "The Wizard of Oz."
All thanks to Elkanah Watson, "Father of the County Fair."
Patriotism is another staple of the great American fair. As has been mentioned before in this space, if you want a slice of Americana, you can spend $2,000, fly to Florida and see Disney World's centerpiece, Main Street U.S.A.
Or you go to the Greater Grand Forks Fair and Exhibition, which is right down the road. And by the way, gate admission is free.
Walt Disney knew the powers of small-town fairs and designed Main Street U.S.A. in part to evoke them. But of course, the great thing about the Greater Grand Forks Fair is that it's not an "evocation" at all. It's 100 percent authentic, right down to the straw bales being thrown in the Straw Bale Toss Competition today and the gum being chewed in Hugo's Bubblegum-blowing Contest.
As for memories -- well, valley residents have plenty of options this weekend; there's always a lot to choose from. But if you have young people in the house, nothing will beat the fair for instilling memories that never fade.
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The sticky sweetness of a blue cloud of cotton candy, the bleats and honks in the livestock barn, the odors of popcorn and grilled brats mixed with the smell of carnival-ride grease on the midway -- these belong in the memory banks of every American youth.
All this and an egg-and-spoon race, too, not to mention the corn-shucking contest and the 4-H pie and ice cream social. It's yours for the tasting at the Greater Grand Forks Fair and Exhibition, today through Sunday. Enjoy.
-- Tom Dennis for the Herald
