Mark’s Musings – Sept. 30, 2015

Mark Fortune

Every year at this time my column seems to be pointed in one major direction–and as always-several minor ones. This week it has to be the Coshocton County Fair, the grand-daddy signature event of our community for 164 years. Like many of our readers, the fair brings back fond memories of happy moments spent with family and friends. Strolling down the midway, chomping on a corn dog or French fries or . . . don’t get me started on the food already!

Let’s go back to good times at the fair. The Coshocton County Fair comes at that ideal time of year. Harvest time, pumpkins, fall foliage, apples and all of the trimmings that accompany this wonderful season of the year. There was always chili, soup-burgers and pumpkin pie ready after the show at mom and dad’s camper. Prepared by mom of course! The black 1978 Silverado pickup truck that was my dad’s gift to himself from coal monies was always parked at the fair with the camper on top toward the end of my 4-H show days. I think each of us boys had at least one small “mishap” in said truck. And maybe my sister had one too.

Those with campers and RV’s understand the memories made each year at the fair. I will, on a rare occasion, and usually when trying to find some other family memory or long lost item, come upon the trophies and ribbons from Coshocton County Junior Fair’s past. For those that are fortunate enough to receive the rewards of hard work – make sure that you write the year and why you received that reward. Those are the trigger points for your memories and it jogs that “older” memory into a place of all the years gone by.

I hope you have a chance to stop by The Beacon booth in the large commercial building and watch a photo slide show from the past 12 months. This is now a staple of our booth and something that folks seem to enjoy viewing. We make an effort to select interesting photos from the past year for you to enjoy. You can also pick up a fresh copy of The Beacon, any of our other specialty publications or even sign up to receive The Beacon in your mailbox. If your Beacon has stopped coming in the mail that probably means that your three year request has expired. You can sign up at our booth so stop on by during the fair.

There are hundreds of people that make our county fair possible and they all deserve a big “thanks.” Let’s start with the fair board office staff, senior fair board, the junior fair board and their advisors, the folks that help with parking, REACT, community first responders, 4-H, FFA, Grange participants, all the entertainers, those that take the time to bake, garden, grow, harvest, decorate and display all of the exhibits. It takes thousands of volunteer hours to make all of this happen. Without which there would not be a Coshocton County Fair. We thank all of you!

Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion