This is the week of the Otsego County Fair, and the fairgrounds are down our street, within walking distance. Living near the fairground make it an even bigger event, since we see farmers and vendors bringing their livestock, camping trailers and equipment to set up several days before the opening. Usually the night before the opening, the carnival trucks haul in the rides and booths for their event late into the night. This year, gathering storms and predictions of bad weather intensified the drama, and we were concerned for opening day. As it turned out, the weather was kind, the crowds came, and it was a great day for opening the fair. We were able to get our errands run in time to join the crowds for an annual treat of fair food. Pulled pork stuffed potatoes were a repeat from last year, and we topped that off with a new treat (for us), deep-fried Oreos. No diet worries in that. . .right? Of course, we walked around and looked at all the animals and checked out exhibits. The topper for the evening was the great fireworks display, which we enjoyed in the comfort of our own backyard. We look down the stream and get the best view of the fireworks imaginable. Sunday, we will help out by hosting the one-room school house exhibit for a couple of hours. It’s kind of fun. I actually have some one-room school house experience in my own background.
I haven’t yet had my series protagonist, Bobby Navarro, go to a county fair, but he did go to a Rendezvous reenactment in Murder on the Mother Road, and was gearing up to help his ranch cook friend compete in a chuck wagon cooking contest in Murder on Route 66. I think there’s a similarity. These events are longstanding celebrations of community, family and local history. Having a protagonist attend such an event can be an important statement of setting and character as well. Bobby Navarro is not your typical tourist, but he can still appreciate an event of this sort. I can use the event, and his reaction to it, to build my reader’s understanding of who Bobby Navarro is, without ever having to spell it out.
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