photo by Betsy Miller
Wandering through the sheep barn at last year’s Columbia County Fair would have yielded a surprise. There among the traditional white, wooly sheep was a strange sight, a brown and white spotted ram – complete with curling horns that would make a football fan proud. And in adjacent pens were lambs of the same color. The signs told the story. These were Jacob’s sheep, a rare breed, seldom found on the East Coast – and, more importantly, the oldest breed of sheep in the world.
At a County fair? Who knew?
The poultry pens yielded similar finds. From a powder pink pigeon to a Cochin blue cockerel, there was more to see than just Rhode Island Reds. And that’s the point. A Fair needs to do more than just showcase the common. It needs to feature rare and unusual breeds, too. Not only does it keep exhibitors submitting their best, but it gives the public something to think about. “It’s a way to keep the lineage alive,” says the Poultry Superintendent. And it keeps the public interested, too.
The Columbia County Fair offers up a lot of opportunities for a pondering public. At the Two-by-Two Zoo they call it “edutainment”. Here rare animals that have been rescued from bad living situations are shown to adults and children along with an on-going commentary about where and how these animals live. Ring-tailed lemurs are live – not cartoons. Kangaroos with actual babies in their pouches stand only a few feet away. And for the bravest in the crowd, pythons can be held. Now THAT’S up close and personal.
photo by Joel Weisbrod
There’s more, too. The Heritage Village building showcases bygone skills in an environment that allows endless Q & A. Diverse professions from the early 20th Century are demonstrated. See blacksmithing, tinsmithing, book binding, jewelry making, leather working, harness making, quilting and rug hooking. Visitors learn how things worked before automation. Souvenirs from this group of crafters have been handmade right in front of the purchaser. And maybe they’ve learned a little something, too.
Other spots to get information include: the local hospital’s blood pressure table; the Master Gardener’s desk where one can bring an unknown plant specimen and not only get the correct nomenclature, but background on the best habitat for the species; and at the judging for any of the livestock categories. There you’ll find judges who have been nationally trained and will point out not only the flaws but the configuration that makes any animal outstanding in its breed.
Top points of another kind are shown off when Monster tractors take to the field. Their job? To pull 30,000 pounds 300 feet. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. And the entertainment value of fire breathing, piston packed behemoths straining their chains to make that crawl across the finish line is indescribable.
The Fair’s headline entertainment can sometimes defy description, too, except for Rolling Stone Magazine’s description of this year’s group, 1964…The Tribute. They said, “The best Beatles tribute band on Earth.” High praise. And a great reason to come and watch these Fab Four pretenders as they re-create a 1964 concert – right down to the onstage chatter and instruments used. This is an opportunity to see why four guys from Liverpool influenced an entire generation.
A different accent will be amplified when country singer Craig Morgan takes to the stage. He’s been nominated Best Male Newcomer in country music twice. Now he’s got a hit or two under his belt and can show the public why all those years in the Army as a Deputy Sheriff, and a good ol’ Wal-Mart worker help give a down home, heartfelt quality to his songs.
And down home is the right way to describe all the entertainment at this country fair. From home cooked foods, to the high powered cooking contest, from gymnastics for kids to Talent Contests that pave the way to stardom, the Fair has plenty to offer. There is a world class rodeo, and Roman riding demonstrations; a blue ribbon barbershop quartet, and a blues musician who actually spent his childhood picking cotton. This is a fair with lots to choose from: a Fair for the thinking man – and woman, of course.
Admission includes all entertainment and parking. The Columbia County Fair, Route 66 (GPS: 182 Hudson Avenue), Chatham, opens at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1, and at 10 a.m. the other days. It runs through Monday, Labor Day, September 6. This year, gate prices remain the same: $10 daily, $12 on Sunday. Children 12 and under are always free. Thursday, seniors can enter for half price until 4 p.m. and youth under 18 are free until 4 p.m. Discounted advance sale tickets are available at www.columbiafair.com until August 15th. For information, call 392.2121 or go to the website. The Columbia County Fair is on Facebook, too.
