Woodhaven Ramblings: 2025 Clark County Fair! Recap

As I have been running around the past three days not resting nearly enough, it occurred to me that it feels like I went on a 10-day vacation but with a house that sort of exploded while I was gone. Lots of things got thrown on tables, presents from the cat got only cursory attention, the kitchen floor had bits of Fair strewn about…

I’m still not caught up…or rested. And sadly, like so many vacations that come to an abrupt halt with demands to return to reality, I feel the escape of my beloved Fair slipping away. It was a loooong 10 days, and yet I can’t believe they are already over.

Almost literally our home away from
home for 10 days! Doesn't it look
like an Information Booth?
Or a Fotomat?
(Google it, youngins!)

As anticipated, this year’s fairing was not typical at all. Working (as volunteers) at my Fair is a totally different experience than just showing up and moseying about.

Although Rob and I were able to see all the events and exhibits we wanted to, we faired in bits and pieces. There weren’t those long, leisurely stretches of just watching the Fair or chatting with friends or breathing in the much-needed respite from the responsibilities of real life. We were often interrupted by texts or phone calls with Gazebo Duties. We signed up for that, so it’s more of an observation than a complaint. But it made Fairing feel choppy instead of lingering. I still escaped from reality; I just didn’t get to sink deeply into it.

The only time we caught the animal races --
from behind the trailer as we were scurrying
about the Fairgrounds on Official Gazebo
Business. The goats were so cute!

I loved being a part of my Fair in a bigger capacity than ever before. While still not totally an insider – insiders don’t get to go to concerts and Demolition Derbies and hypnosis shows – I got to meet and chat with lots of them. They don’t know it, but many times I felt like I was meeting royalty when I finally got to put handshakes and faces to legendary Clark County Fair names I have seen and heard many times over the years. My Fair Stalker heart was soooo happy!.

I loved getting a better understanding of the different departments that make up my Fair, even if I’m still confused about the difference between a Boer meat goat and a Market meat goat. We discovered there is a Cheese Department! And we were instrumental in getting Curly the Camel plugged into the Passport to Fun program so that he can officially be the insider he always should have been. The memories of Curly’s dad’s excitement when we gave him Passports and signs still have me beaming!

A friend's daughter just whipped up a camel
stamp when she heard Curly was going to be
a Passporter. WOW!!! It was adorable.

And, I’m not gonna lie – I enjoyed walking around with my Fair Pass Lanyard when duty called. It gave me some credibility as I was meeting the real insiders and helped me feel like I had a seat at their Fine Fair Folks table.

All swagged out in my most favorite
uniform ever!

I’m always amused by what fairing inspires me to order either during the Fair or right after. Past purchases have included cow earrings, Clark County Fair customized sweatshirts (thanks, Zazzle!), an electric canner, a The Guess Who Greatest Hits CD, and a Captain & Tennille 8-track cassette to display on our bookshelf.

This year’s fairing resulted in the following superfast deliveries from Amazon: two “Congratulations!” ink stamps, a variety pack of hydration packets for downing my daily morning bottle of water while finishing up my nightly blogs, and a pack of HP 962 ink cartridges because my printer ran out of yellow. A fascinating reflection of how different this year’s Fair was!

We got Prime for super cheap
when Rob was in school getting
a Master's degree. Amazon's plan
worked like a charm - I got addicted
to the fast shipping and now pay
full price for the convenience.

I am more exhausted this year than in the past. We did 10 days straight without a day off. We walked more than we ever have, averaging 4.2 miles per day. And we taxed our brains, solving problems bigger than just what to eat next (although still a discussion several times daily). As an introvert, it was a LONG ten days of soooo much peopling. I am talked OUT. But I was surprisingly excited by the opportunity to start building some teamworky relationships with various Fair departments.

As exhausting and unrelaxing as my Fair was this year, I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of creating Fair Joy for others, especially kids. It made my heart both melt and sing when I listened to Rob encouraging kids and parents to enter their creations in the Fair next year – drawings, Lego structures, photos, new forays in gardening. “You can be a part of the Fair!” So much FAIR JOY!!

Although this is my final Fair blog for the 2025 Clark County Fair, it will still be a bit before the Fair is fully wrapped up. Rob and I are eager to debrief with new Marketing Assistant Jenny. We have two spreadsheets and three pages of notes to share to hopefully make things go even smoother next year.

We learned A LOT together this year – mostly on the fly and in the moment – so presumably things won’t be quite so exhausting and occasionally bonkers next year. We have spreadsheets built and all the laminated signs my organized little heart could think to seal.

It will be sooo much easier next year
not thinking of these needed materials
at really inconvenient times during the
Fair... or in the wee hours when my
brain really needs to turn off.
FAIR! FAIR!! FAIR!!

Next year? Do I want to “work” again with the Passport to Fun program next year? If asked by the Marketing Department, yeah, probably so! I ADORE Marketing Assistant Jenny – she is a rockstar and fun and real and I hope she has room for a new best friend. She was an absolute BLAST to work with!

And yes, I realize I am saying “we” a lot. To paraphrase one of Rob’s all-time favorite quotes from the wise Super Chicken: He knew the job was dangerous when he took it. The job? Marrying me! I absolutely could not and would not Fair without Rob. He is an AMAZING Fair Buddy.

We participated the HECK out of the
Fair this year! Very proud of our
ribbons, even if they were gifted to
us by unimpressed last-place-finishers
in the Cheeseburger Eating Contest.

And so I guess my Fair is over. I am relieved, sad, grateful, tired, and wistful.

Thank you, Tawnia, for inviting me and Rob to help spread Fair Joy in a bigger way this year. Thank you, Jenny, for doing an incredible job with just a few months of training. You are a pro through and through. It was an honor to be part of your team.

And thank you, Rob, for carrying my stuff, toting so many Beanie Babies through the Fairgrounds, fetching me snacks, slowing me down with thoughtful considerations when I wanted to jump in to solve problems ASAP, and staying up later than you wanted to each night as I tapped away on my keyboard. I love you and am so deeply grateful for you and your willingness to join me on my adventures with corn dogs and clipboards.