Wednesday was a mixture of scorching heat and heavy rain at the Morrow County Fair. A strong weather system moved in from the west and literally blew through the fairgrounds, making a mess then dumping heavy rain mid-afternoon. Another system came through in the evening with a Heavy Thunderstorm Warning from the National Weather Service.
On the agenda for Wednesday was
9 a.m… Horse & Pony Grand Entry/King and Queen Presentation
9 a.m… Poultry Show (Small Arena)
9:00 a.m. … Open Sheep Show (Sheep Barn)
10 a.m… Horse Contest Show (Horse Arena)
10:00 a.m. … Beef Judging (Show Arena)
10 a.m… Beef Breeding Show (Show Arena).
3:30-6:00 p.m. … Earth Day at the Fair (Small Stage)
4:30 p.m… Beef Showmanship (Show Arena)
6 p.m… Market Beef Show (Show Arena)
6:30 p.m… Clover Buds on Parade (Youth Building)
7:30 p.m. … School Bus & Truck Figure 8 Racing (Grandstand)
For the first time, Cornerstone Cafe set up camp at the fair in the building near the arts and crafts area.
What prompted owner John Gompf to take on the fair?
“We don’t usually do real well during fair week,” he said, “so we closed it down this Monday through Friday and put a note on the door saying, ‘Come to the fair!’ We’ll be open there from 6 am – 2 pm Saturday and 8 am – 2 pm Sunday. We’ll be closed Labor Day and be here (at the fairgrounds) til it closes.”
Hours at Cornerstone’s fair food building are 7 am – about 8 pm throughout the fair. Gompf said being there has allowed them to see people he had not seen in a long time.
“We’ve been on the corner downtown for nine years and there are still people who said they never knew we were there!”
He said the heat has been a challenge but he’s having fun.
“It’s been interesting,” Gompf said. “We had no idea what to expect. I’ve already made several runs to pick up [supplies].”
The workers at the food stand included two sisters and John’s mother, who is 78 yrs old and washes dishes there. Workers from the restaurant who volunteered to work the fair are there, too.
“Our group has done an excellent job,” he said. “They’re all troopers and I love every one of them.”
For the first time, Cornerstone Cafe set up camp at the fair and was rewarded with a steady stream of customers! Shown here on Wednesday is: (back) Jennifer Gompf and Chase Sherman; below Jennifer is Sheila Whirl; and in front, from left, is Pam Gompf, Shirley Gompf, Jessica Chafin and John Gompf.
A group of children watch their friend try his hand at Skeeball. Hot temperatures didn’t seem to slow down the kids in the Midway area!
Northmor senior Jenna Hykes and her nephew Like Remy, 6, of Northmor have a great time on the Funnel Force ride.
Highland 8th graders Maddie Lyon and her brother Will hang on through the curves on the Sizzler.
Five-yr-old Nicholas Bennett smiles at his mother as he takes a spin on the Special Forces ride. He is the son of Lindsay and Jeff Bennett.
Helping out at the Hospitality tent was (from left) Phyllis McChesney, Teresa Murphy, Terri Hendricks, Mary Cochran and Deb Eckert. The tent is sponsored by North Woodbury Alliance Church in North Woodbury and offers a rest stop for tired fairgoers, a baby changing station, free coffee and water, and free shuttle service.
Laughing and spinning on the Sizzler were Anna Morraco, left, and Haven Krehlick, both Mt. Gilead 6th graders.
Enjoying a ride on the Special Forces vehicles were Kayla Trainer, 5, of Highland and Mallory Trainer, 3.
Highland senior Randy Norwich trims his Nigerian Dairy goat while his mother, Dina, ‘supervises.’
About 2:20 pm, the western skies grew dark and headed straight for the fairgrounds.
Before the rain started, a very strong wind blew through the area, knocking down displays and scattering fairgoers.
Then the rain came. Visitors took shelter where they could find it.
It absolutely poured down rain, with thunder to boot.
Some fairgoers waited for the rain to subside in the Arts and Crafts building.
Most vendors dropped their side panels and awnings until the rain passed.
Seventh grader Amelia Smith, 12, took a ride on the Wild Bull near the Commercial Building Wednesday afternoon. She slipped around but did NOT fall off.
Can he eat it all? A J Kuykendall, a Mt. Gilead sixth grader said yes, he can!
