By Vickie Rhodehamel
Arcanum News
Can you believe another summer is almost over? The Darke County Fair is here! Have you completed your favorites – places you must visit and food you must try while you are at the fairgrounds? The rituals of the end of summer are upon us! This year 250,000 people are expected to come to Greenville, Ohio to attend our Great Darke County Fair. In 1898, 28,000 people attended the 43rd fair. One of the highlights that year was “Famous Professor Hannon,” who ascended in a balloon and parachuted out in front of the crowd.
Entitled the greatest county fair on earth, this year is the 170th — the fair was started in 1852 when Dr. I.N. Gard was named chief executive officer and ably led by such men as George Coover, Alfred Kitchen and Noah Arnold to realize the dream and plan for an agricultural fair for the following year. And so it came to pass that on a Wednesday and Thursday, September 7 and 8 of 1853, Darke County indeed had a fair of its own. Greenville, as the county seat, was selected for geographic reasons and thus the initial fair was held on the grounds immediately east of Garst museum.
Three times since the fair’s 1853 inception the event was cancelled: 1862 and 1863 the fair was cancelled because the county was embroiled in pitting brother against brother in the Civil War; and again in 1949 due to the outbreak of polio in the county and surrounding area. A modified youth fair was held in 2020 during the pandemic COVID year.
What’s your favorite exhibit, food, entertainment? Perhaps you have a 4-H’er, band member, or cheerleader you will be supporting or have entered exhibits in the Fine Arts or Domestic Arts, FFA, or one of the livestock barns; whatever your reason for attending the fair makes it one of the best! Best of luck to all the youth exhibitors at the fair, it will be a memory of a lifetime that you will tell your children and grandchildren about in years to come.
While you are there don’t forget to support your local vendors that work the fair. At the fair you might look forward to a lemonade or lemonade/strawberry shakeup from Martin’s Old-Fashioned Lemonade, an elephant ear from Chuck’s Foods, or a Farmer Brown and some Just Ice Cream; or just be there to see old friends, enjoy and make some memories. Enjoy the Darke County Fair! What’s your favorite must have to eat? What’s your favorite activity you just must, see? Good luck to all the youth exhibitors, may you win that blue ribbon you have been working so hard for all year!
“The Great Darke County Fair is like a holiday. I look forward to it all year long to go back again and see old friends and savor the food delights! Even though, year after year, we do the same things, it never disappoints.” ~anonymous
Many, many thanks to Tracy Fout and his staff at Spieles, Troutwine & Fout (STF Insurance) and family for hosting the fourth annual Brickstreet Block Party. It was a huge success, and a great time was had by all who attended. There were lots of winners and without further ado here
are the lucky ones! Little Mister and Little Miss Brickstreet were Karmen Morrison and Kixton Jenkins! Congratulations! First Runner-ups were Shelby Holliday and Krew Morrison, 2nd runner-up Charlee Layne and Elliott Palmer. Cornhole Tourney winners were Conner Pohl and Devin Fourman. The 3-point shot winners were first-Regan Christ, 2nd-Andrew Bennett, and 3rd-Ben Akers. The New Beer Stein Holding contest winner was Mason Keel. Winners of the Pickleball Tournament were Brown & Brumbaugh. The Gun Raffle Winners were Justin Anderson (gun winner), Ken Matheson ($250 gift card) and Todd Rieglesberger ($100 gift card.) The winners of the Arcanum Alumni Association baskets were Keir Smith, Sherinda Brumbaugh, Sue Custer, Lonnie Voke and Denise Swabb. Congratulations to all the winners!
Special thanks also goes to the many local businesses who supported all the festivities by donating prizes and financial assistance for all the organizations who participated in the event. It was a great time. The music, the food, and all the fun! Thanks everyone!
As occurs every year, right on the heels of the fair is when Darke County Schools open and the fall sports seasons begin. Arcanum High School will host the Varsity Volleyball WOAC tournament sponsored by Greenville Federal on Saturday, August 26th. The Athletic Boosters and the Alumni Association are again partnering with a Chick-Fil-A offering at the volleyball tournament beginning at 11 a.m. in the concession stand. They will offer for sale the regular chicken sandwich and the 8-piece nugget box for your enjoyment! Come check out the tournament, watch a little volleyball, route for the Lady Trojans and “eat more Chikin!!”
“The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals.” ~Siddharth Katragadda
