RHINEBECK FUN AT THE FAIR
Dutchess County Fair opening day full of excitement and energy
Opening day at the Dutchess County Fair is when excitement and nervous energy blend into pure enthusiasm for activities, adventures and competition that tends to involve some form of livestock.
Tuesday’s first day of a sixday run was one that largely featured low-tech and traditional events that brought families together. This included those that were there to cheer on Millerton teenager Carrissa Whitehead as she guided a Holstein cow in the first of what will several events she enters this week.
“Every show is different and I think they are always going after the blue (ribbon) but she’s probably not nearly as nervous as we are,” said father Chris Whitehead.
“She’s been doing this since she was six (years old) so there’s probably certain aspects she gets nervous about like making sure she doesn’t make a mistake,” he said. “I think the most important thing she can get is the education about what she does and appreciation for how much she is accomplishing.”
Competitions will be con
ducted all week, with Horticulture Display co-Chairwoman Eileen Tiedemann noting that nerves that are built up leading into the fair are exchanged for enthusiasm once the event opens.
Tiedemann will be spending the week on preparation for a Woodstock Festival-themed floral competition that doesn’t occur until Saturday when over 250 flower arrangements are placed and judged.
“Nobody ever knows what they’re going put in because they don’t know what’s going to be blooming in your garden until the day before,” she said. “This year it may be even
more difficult because the weather knocked things out...for a loop. Things where there are usually a lot of entries have really been dropped down.”
There is also something about having the Dutchess County Fair live up to generational expectation, with West Shokan resident Tony Ripley finding that his nephews from out of state were as enthused as he’d hoped while building up the fair.
“This is the best fair,” he said. “They’re excited about the rides. We’re going to do that tonight because you always do rides at night.”
Among things that nephew Logan Ripley found to be interesting were some of the unusual nutrition offerings from a booth that showed how
science could make ants, grasshoppers, and mealworms.
“He ate the bugs,” Tony Ripley said, and in a deadpan voice repeated it more slowly. “He ate the bugs.”
There is an element of relaxation that does come with the fair, which Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro was seeking to enjoy with his family. His shorts and wellworn T-shirt while pushing two children in a stroller made it clear he was there to take in the tradition instead of engaging in a campaign for reelection.
“I have not missed a fair season since 1990,” he said. “Dutchess County has a lot of resources here on site... emergency response, Sheriff’s Department, Health Department, and others here.”