Today marks the first day of the Delaware County Fair. For most days this is a normal fair, you have your oversized elephant ear, bucket 'O Fries, and plenty of interesting people to look at. I was never a fair guy growing up, actually I despised them. Not entirely sure why but when the fair came around I would avoid it at all costs. When I moved to Delaware it was no different. The fair came around and I avoided it, even when our crazy school district gave us a day off for the fair or this thing called the "little brown jug". They could call it "eat yourself stupid day" for all I cared because I got the day off. Then it all changed when I married the first family of fair going. You know how the Bush's love their texas ranch, the Beckstedt's love their fairs. What is it about the fair? I never understood the big deal, until I attended my first brown jug.
For those of you that didn't know, The Brown Jug is like the Kentucky Derby of Harness Racing... at least it's part of the triple crown. What does that mean really? It means that for one day in september, thursday, over 50,000 people pack into Delaware, OH to watch a series of horse races. The event is like a rock concert with really big fast horses instead of doped out rockers. If you take a minute while you're there to walk around the track you'll see huge tail-gates with cornhole, grills, and beers on ice for miles. Keep walking and you'll see the general admission backstretch, it's literally rows of lawn chairs 30 deep with people just having the time of their lives. You'll see ladies pull their shirts up, drunk guys screaming, and usually parents of the kids you teach asking if you want a beer. I kept thinking to myself, what and the hell is going on? Then I went to the OSU-USC game. It's the same thing, and it dawned on me, this is it for a lot of these people. This is their nationally televised game that means the season to them. My father-in-law talks about this week like it's spring break for teachers, and it makes sense to me now. As much as I love the feeling of a OSU game and the little things that surround it, he feels the same way about the Jug, along with the other 50,000 + people. Not to mention they win over a half million. Yeah. So get out your foam fingers with your favorite sulky on it and lets light this town up, it's Jug week. Besides, 50,000 drunk fans having the time of their life is better than the browns or bengals can say they play in front of.
2 comments:
as an experienced fair goer- I must say nothing tops the Delaware County Fair- and the fun in determining which horse will win the races! Grandma will have us all betting, ha!
The bigger question comes with the idea : Where does all of that horse poop go?
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