Wet weather can’t dampen spirit

Another Jay County Fair has come and gone.
This year’s event is unlikely to be remembered as one of the best fairs in our county’s history. The weather took care of that.
The deluge of rain that fell throughout June led the fair board to postpone this year’s big country concert with Trace Adkins until August.
At the start of fair week, it seemed that decision may have been hasty. Then, as fair board members had feared, the skies opened Tuesday morning and dumped several inches of rain.
Some areas of the fairgrounds flooded, and, for the first time in anyone’s memory, all fair events were canceled Tuesday evening. The rest of the week went on as scheduled — though putting on the Adkins concert would have been impossible — while the gloomy skies continued until finally the sun made an appearance on the closing day Saturday.
But even some nasty weather couldn’t put a damper on some of the features we always enjoy about the fair.
For anyone who has lived in Jay County for more than a few months, it’s impossible to walk the fairgrounds without seeing a constant stream of familiar faces. It can take a half hour just to get back to the car — not because of the length of the walk, but rather all the stops for conversations along the way.
There’s no other event that brings more of us together in a single place.
And, as always, we can’t help but leave last week impressed with all of the local children and teens involved in 4-H.
While it’s true that fair activities were canceled Tuesday evening, that schedule change did not mean a thing in the animal barns and the surrounding area. If anything, the deluge of water meant even more work for the 4-Hers and their parents.
They were carrying animals through flooded areas, using brooms to try to push water out of barns and creating makeshift barriers in an effort to keep the animals’ temporary homes as dry as possible.
All of that came on top of the things that normally impress us — rising early in the morning to feed livestock, preparing them to look their bests for shows and practicing showmanship skills late into the night. At a time when the work ethic of younger generations is often decried, it’s heartening to see so many youngsters striving so hard to achieve their goals.
And of course, there was the food. The Lion Burgers, whole hog sausage sandwiches, tenderloins — grilled and breaded — cheese fries, breadsticks, ice cream and other treats did not disappoint.
So while this year’s fair wasn’t perfect, it still provided plenty to be proud of and enjoy.
And it leaves us looking forward to another fun — and hopefully dry and sunny — fair next year. — R.C.