As a Michigan transfer, I’d never given much thought to fairs, assuming it was a Midwestern tradition for small town folk. But, I was wrong. From the moment I started to visit Connecticut, I’d heard about the myriads of fairs in New England. Three years later, I finally got to experience the Durham Fair which took place this year from September 22-25.
Senior Karla Rivadeneira told me her tradition is to watch the tractor races and the talent show. Clinton resident Abigail Yatzook had plenty to say about the Durham Fair. “I’m 33 years old have been to the Durham Fair 32 times.” When asked about her tradition, she said, “I have to eat certain foods. Once it gets dark I get a bag of cotton candy and eat it on the Ferris wheel overlooking the lights.” I made a lot of new memories at the fair this year, but Mrs. Yatzook has years of them. “My favorite memory from growing up is sitting on the hill on the cool fall nights wearing sweatshirts and drinking hot chocolate. But now that I have kids of my own I enjoy making new memories and traditions with them that they will remember when they get older.”
Eating fair food is without a doubt one of the best things to do at a fair: fried Oreos, fried dough, lemonade, Thai food, Indian food, french fries! It was a foodies heaven. As I sipped a lime rickey and ate a gyro, the smell of manure wafted in the air. Not being a fan, I ignored many of the animal exhibits, but I did see the cows and bunnies which were very interesting because as a city girl I’d never seen them up close before. There were many little kids amazed at the animals. One little boy called the cows, “moo-moos.” As the night went on, my favorite became the rides. With a little encouragement from friends, I conquered my fear of heights and even went on the Ferris wheel. Some seasoned fair goers informed me that it was very crowded on Saturday but, as a newbie, I felt the crowd was to be as expected. The Durham Fair was a brand new experience that I plan to make a yearly tradition.
As the night went on, my favorite thing became the rides. The colorful lights and the sounds of giggles became contagious, and I couldn’t wait to get on. With a little encouragement from friends I conquered my fear of heights and even went on the Ferris wheel. Four rides later, I was dizzy and ready to win a giant pig. Sadly, as much as I tried and no matter how much money I spent, I walked away empty handed. Some seasoned fair goers had informed me that it was very crowded on Saturday but, as a newbie, I felt the crowd was to be as expected. Plus I had the added bonus of seeing many Morgan students there. The Durham Fair was a brand new experience that I plan to make a yearly tradition. If you are interested in finding out more about the fair you can click here and it will lead you to their website.