County Fair Archives - Page 2 of 2

New book on the American county fair!

America's County Fairs Just released: Purebred & Homegrown: America's County Fair Book We're pleased to announce the release of our new County fair book that covers the nation's vibrant county fairs from coast to coast! For more than a decade we traveled to some 90 fairs in 35 states (we lost exact count someplace) in order to record some of the great stories of people at America's fairs, plus to photograph some of the million things that happen at every fair, every year. We also detail the history of the agricultural fair and analyze some of the reasons that the fair persists today despite all the changes in agriculture in the last century. Available through your local County bookstore, at amazon.com, or directly from the publisher at the url provided. Take a look, and let us know what you think! Drake and Carol

By Karen|2024-03-04T06:11:00+00:00December 14th, 2008|County Fair, Fair|0 Comments

I have been invited to a Cricket Spitting Contest

This is a real county fair event. I am always on the look out for something different. Aren’t we all? This is definitely different Cricket Spitting Contest. You put a dead cricket in your mouth and see how far you can spit it. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? It sure would be a big draw at a state fair. Even children under nine can do this. Cricket Spitting was developed in 1996 by entomolgist Tom Turpin at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. rules are simple: Competitors stand in a red circle, place thawed crickets inside their mouths and, spitting them as far as possible without stepping outside the circle. The official Guinness world record is 30 feet, 1.2 inches. The unofficial record from the Purdue Bug Bowl is 37 feet, 9.75 inches. I have been invited to a Cricket Spitting Contest Dead crickets, with no chocolate coating, fly further if launched head-first. I guess this is a sport not to be taken lightly – ” Chicago — A 23-year-old man suffered fatal injuries when he fell from his Mt. Prospect balcony during a spitting contest with his friends, police in northwest suburb said Tuesday.” ah, of course he was also drinking. The contest I was invited to is at the Florence County Fair in Wisconsin. However, I believe I will decline this one. Did anyone get a good watermelon seed-Cricket Spitting Contest? Cricket Spitting @ the Florence County Fair! That’s right. . . you come and put a cricket spitting world record in your mouth and see how far you can spit it. Here are the rules: 1.) The farthest cricket wins. 2.) The cricket must remain in tact. 3.) You have 10 seconds from the moment the cricket is in your mouth until the time you spit it. 4.) There are three age groups: – 9 & under – 10-14 – 15 & up 5.) The top three spitters in each age group receive a medal.

By Karen|2024-03-27T11:01:21+00:00August 18th, 2008|Contests, Insects, Wisconsin|0 Comments

Not All Grant Programs Are From The Government

A lot of all Grant Programs have been started by organizations, foundations and other entities to bring a greater awareness to something or some subject. Let’s take for example one of the more unusual grant programs that are out there. Did you know that there is a grant program to help increase the awareness of harness racing? Yes that’s right – harness racing – you know horses and stuff! Not only the government that has All grant programs You see this is what I talk about when I say that you just can’t imagine the spectrum of different grant programs that are out there. Now the one I mention above is offered by an All Grant Programs organization to bring a greater awareness to harness racing. But it also wants to bring greater attention to the county fairs that are held all over the United States! But not just fairs are eligible for the grant program. Past recipients of this grant program have been horsing associations, various agricultural societies and even a historic race track has also received this grant. Unfortunately this particular grant program requires that the applicants have matching funds but if your organization can raise $5,000 then your organization is eligible to apply for this grant which will award an additional $5,000. This grant money has been used to pay for advertising and even for the creation of a website to help further promote the organization’s fair. This particular grant program started just last year but because it became so popular the organization decided to add additional grant amounts to their program.

By Karen|2024-03-27T11:19:31+00:00July 9th, 2007|Grants|0 Comments