August 16, 2024 • 21 mins
From the IHeart Podcast Parlor, Russ Decker is joined by Chad Hughes to talk all things Allen County Fair and the preparations that are already underway for the 175th edition of the Fair next year!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, we are back for ACF four on one
from the old milking parlor, this is now a podcast
parlor here at the Allen County Fair and thanks to
our host, iHeart podcast folks, and its powered by Ditriot.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And we want to thank everybody that's helping us put.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
This together, including April Spencer at spencer Shugar Shop.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You brought us a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Cookies and they're really good, and we have two whole.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Trays of those. Chads. Chad said he'd.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Take one of them with you when they're delicious.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, okay, So joining me in the podcast parlor for
this episode, we have Chad use I can say this
Chad is former manager here at the Allen County Fair.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
But Chad, besides that, you've been a part of the
Allen County Fair for a long time.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
So let's talk about how you first got involved with
the fair and how we got.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
To where you are today.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
So I started working for the Allen County Fair in
the summer when I was nine y years old, and
I started out being the big lovable Maurice the cow
yes that walks around and gives people hugs and greets
all the little kids and goes to all the fun events.
From there, I worked in the office throughout high school,
(01:17):
ended up building one of the fair's first websites, manage
their social media for many years, still do a little
bit of that, but have been involved now with the
Fair over twenty five years, which is crazy, so more
than half of my life. But I've always been around,
always been a fair kid, never showed livestock, but always
(01:40):
did small projects here at the fair. So I was
a four age kid as well, But just have a
great admiration for the fair and love what it stands
for and love what it does for the community.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So we've got to talk about this because the fact
that we're even here doing podcasts is in a big part.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Due to you.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Because that's correct, Chad and I are superintendent's down in
the fine arts.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Ability doing antiques has nothing to do with the fact
that I'm older than crap, and that's not why I'm correct.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
We love it no matter how old.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yoah. Well, we're sitting out there and we're like, so
we need we need another.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Communications tool, and we talk about podcasts, and then we
ended up here in this milking parlor.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Please, So I do have to.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Tell you because we're making the announcement here. Troy knew
that we were gonna make this, he was gonna try
to be here, but obviously he's a busy, busy guy.
But Chad had the idea that if we were gonna
do the podcast and make the podcast Parlor out of
the milking parlor, we needed a cow. So we have
this inflatable cow right here, and we've named him, oh
or her.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
This is chad At and chat At is the official
cow part of the podcast Parlor, and we're gonna get
her little name tag and she'll be she'll have her
chat At on there.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
For the rest of the fair.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
But hey, when I was little, the milking parlor was
so cool because they actually would still at that point
bring the cows in and use it. And it's sat
here empty for many many years and kind of covered up.
So I'm just happy that the space is being used again,
and it's for something super cool and super advanced, because
that's what we gotta do.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
We gotta keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So we're gonna be doing We're gonna be doing three
episodes of ACF four, one every day from the Allen
County Fair, and chat At will be a part of
every episode. We'll have Chad looking over our shoulder here
every episode. So what are I really wanted to start
talking about this with you? And that is this is
the one hundred and seventy fourth Allen County Fair.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So I have not been around to most.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Of them, I would hope not.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, but next year is a big it's a milestone.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
It's one hundred and seventy five Allen County Fairs next year,
and you, Chad, you are leading a committee on what
are we going to do special in twenty twenty five
to celebrate one hundred and seventy five years at the
Allen County Fair. So let's just start talking about how
do you even start to get your hands around that
(04:04):
and figure out what we're going to do and what's
going to be the same and what's going.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
To be different.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
So our goal is just to really make next year
stand out, make it new exciting things, but also make
it special. Five years ago, actually we've been planning for
around five years. We started filming a documentary that they
have been working on for five years and have captured
(04:29):
many of the people who helped make the fair what
it was for many years. Some of them have since passed,
so we're so happy that we've got their information and
got their knowledge on film to help add to the
one hundred and seventy fifth because if it wasn't for people,
there would not be a fair, and it was so special.
I got to interview most of those people. We still
(04:51):
have lots of interviews to actually do, but to hear
their stories and hear how.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They got involved.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
And I mean some of these people were involved for
over eighty years, which is amazing. And also to then
highlight all what's new and exciting and changing and highlight
the fair's really cool history. Most fairs in the state
of Ohio have kind of stayed where they always were,
you know, and that is not the case with Allen County.
(05:19):
We have only been on this spot since about nineteen
forty nine, is when they moved here. The first fair
was held in nineteen fifty. Before that, it was actually
held for one year where Arby's sets today, which was
called the Circus Grounds, so railroad was through there they stopped.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
They had the fair there.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Before that, it was held in Delphus for about twenty
years right on the streets of Delphus Before all the
people owned the shops in Delphus and decided, hey, we
don't like all the animals right in front of our shop.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Again, correct, down main street.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
He was getting a little wild back in the forties,
and then before that it was in many places in Lima.
One of those spots was where Lima memorial sits today,
was the old Lima Track and the grand stands set
there up on the hill. And before that it was
actually held on the Farot farm. So lots of history
(06:16):
with the fair which we want to highlight next year.
We plan on doing lots of historical displays, bringing out
some of the fair's archive, which is actually pretty extensive
and pretty well documented. But all in all, we just
want to add lots of fun things to the fair,
So there's going to be a variety of different things happening.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So I've heard a lot of things kicked around for
the one hundred and something, except one of the things
that intrigues me quite a bit is this husband calling contest.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Correct.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
First off, I thought it was very sexist because there's
not a wife calling.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Well, we might have to do.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
This associated with it, but I don't know that means
we get ills up more than they do. But so
is that something they used to do and we're bringing
back or is this just we're pioneering.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
We got the idea actually from I believe the Iowa
State Fair does that, and that's really the I mean,
the fair community is a very small community. It's very large, obviously,
but it's also very small. So seeing what other fairs
have done, taking some of their great ideas and adapted, adapting,
how you know they come to the Allen County Fair
(07:26):
and how we do them here is what we're trying
to do.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
But yes, we plan on having a.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Watermelon eating contest, which is something that they did for
many years. I just learned recently that they did a
spittoon spitting contest and there was a winner and the
fifties that spit almost twenty fit feet, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We have the trophy down there in the display case
this year.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Start practicing.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
There you go, There you go.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
But lots of exciting things also, some historic hopefully some
historic renovations, doing some fun things to the grounds that
will be here for the next one hundred and twenty
five to one hundred and seventy five years hopefully.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So let's talk about.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
So I you know, I just I'd like talking about
like just brainstorming some of the weird things that you know.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So, I know they talked about the watermelon eating.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I also liked the whole idea of people will remember
that the old pie eating contest where you have to
put your hands behind your back and eat the pie,
you know, just do it. And I in my suggestion,
you know, I was at one of those committee meetings.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I suggested that would be a great way for the
Fair Board to kick off the one hundred and.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Seventy fifth absolutely with all the board members lined up
eating pie with their hands tied behind their back.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Would that be I think we should put it on
the schedule now.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
And I think it should be blueberry.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
For sure, the messiest pie possible.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, and April Spencer said she'd bake them all.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That's cut.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
She didn't know that, but so so she's got eighteen
pies to bake for next year.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
To work your calendar.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Put on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, Okay, I know they're talking about and you know,
nothing's casting stones, and we don't know what we're gonna
do or not do. But there might even be an
event or of too that's free in the Grand stand correct.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
I know Troy is working really hard and the board
to get some for the one hundred and fiftieth. They
have lots of really awesome free events in the grandstand,
and I know they're working on putting some things together
for next year as well. We've heard things like concerts,
We've heard things like rodeos, all kinds of fun things.
So it's really what falls in the schedule obviously of
(09:32):
the fair, but then obviously making it special and different
because it is one hundred and seventy fifth. I know
a lot of the departments are planning on doing special
categories next year down in the ag and Fine Arts building,
which will be fun. They'll obviously be a special logo,
special banners, so all the commemorative items of what makes
(09:52):
up a historic here.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So you're sharing this committee. So I'm going right to
the man himself. I heard a rumor.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That there was going to be a really cool historic
display underneath the grand stand next year.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
That is the goal.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
And right now I have a building full of artifacts
that is going to be put together and then we'll
be moved here and we're going to use it for
filming for the documentary for the last couple interviews that
we have to do for the documentary, and then all
that stuff will be moved here. And the goal is
to make a nice historic display under the grandstand and
also make a meet and greet just like Disney World.
(10:27):
You know, you got to compare yourself to Disney World
for Maurice, so he can actually have scheduled times where
he can come out and get historic photos with the fairgoers.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So what do we have a did we you know,
because you've been researching this stuff, now, was there a
mascot before?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Resa?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Maurice was dreamed up in nineteen ninety seven by Jay
Beg who was a past fair manager. And Maurice has
been around since nineteen ninety seven.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
That is the first mascot.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
So obviously.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
So yeah, that's like Mickey Mouse at Disney Correct.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And what's really cool is the same people who make
Mickey Mouse made Maurice.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Get out of Here. Yep.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
So Olympus Flags and Banner in Milwaukee actually designed some
of Disney's costumes and they designed Maurice the Cow as well.
And this is our second Maurice costume.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
So where's the first? Is in the museum?
Speaker 4 (11:22):
It is not, it's actually still in the Fair office
because we keep it if we need extra, you know,
extra spare parts. Every once in a while it comes out,
but it definitely has shown its age.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
It's a little rough.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I love having a guest because like, you really know
everything about that. So the guitar, the guitar tell us
about the guitar.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
So there are actually two guitars and they live at
my house. There are we.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I started that, I think the second year I worked here,
I walked over to Walmart. Walmart was new at that time,
and I bought a really chinsey, cheap guitar because I
was like, we have to document all of the famous
musicians that come and perform at the Owen County Fair.
And since then, every year I sneak in a guitar
to the artist. I know the right people. I make
(12:10):
sure that it gets signed and that will be on
display next year at the one seventy fifth. Both guitars,
because they are almost solely ful go through.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Some of the names that they'll see. All that get
the guitars are just cool.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I mean there's everyone from Lady A all the way
back to when sugar Land was here. I mean it
goes back almost twenty five years at this point, so
you have some pretty big name acts that have been here.
Hardy signed it last year. I don't know if there
actually is an artist that has not signed it in
(12:43):
the past twenty five years, which is pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's very cool. It's very cool. You know.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
We were talking earlier than tonight about with Charlie Whiteel
about all the concerts and stuff, and one of the
cool things that I've been associated with for the last twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
One twenty two years is kind of like hosting the
artists while they're here anything there, wherever they want to go,
if they want to go play golf or whatever. Some
of them go fishing.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
So when you talked about Lady A, I thought one
of the coolest things that I remember from Lady A
was we took them to a local pond. They wanted
to go fishing, so Lady A, I mean, there they are,
they're out fishing. They caught seven largemouth bass that they
have a chef that travels with them, so they brought
the seven bass back to the fair grounds with them
(13:29):
and that was their dinner the night before the night
right before the concert, and they talked on stage about
how they'd had such a good time and they were
fishing and caught.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Their dinner here in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
And it's pretty cool, but it's neat to see some
of the things the artists do while they're here, because
they've you know, they they go work out, they go
play golf, they go shop.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Everybody thinks backstage is this big, elaborate production, and really
it's just people living their everyday lives. They you know,
they're just like you and I. They want to have
fun and obviously they're here to put on a show,
but they want to go fishing, and they want to
go shopping, and sometimes they want to ride rides. That's
happened before as well.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I remember Rascal Flats.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
They were here and their families were with them, and
one of their kids were out of the midway and
won a goldfish. Yeah, and so the band's on tour.
They come backstage. They've got this goldfish in a bag. Dad,
look what I want. Dad looks over at me and says, Russ,
I need you to go to Walmart.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I need you to get a fish bowl and some
fish food. And then he looks at me and said,
but don't buy a lot. We're just trying to make them.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
You know, it look like we're helping here, but it was.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
But you know, it's just it's like any other family.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It's all of a sudden, kids all excited, they want
the goldfish. Mom and dad are like, oh man, he
wanted goldfish.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
It's fun to see them because they are just they're
just families trying to like you know, I'm always surprised,
especially with the Country Act, how many families travel was
you know, the wife and the kids are over here
and they're out having fun at the fair.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Nobody has any idea who they are.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah, and they I mean sometimes they bring everybody, Grandma,
grandpa and uncles. They sit back there and eat with
their with their families. The bath wild Cat Den has
fed a lot of people don't even know that The
bath wild Cat Den has fed them.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
For years and years and years.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
They have an amazing catering crew that has taken care
of the artist for even longer than I've been around.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So one of the funny ones too, is Deaf Leopard.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
They were here and of course they're British, right, so
the wife and the kids and stuff. They're all and
you don't think about death Leopard have wives and kids, right,
but the wives and kids are all out on the
midway and this is Jay, who's still a fair manager
and and I.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Know the question came up from security.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It's like, well, how are we gonna they don't have
any passes or anything, how are we going to know
the love of backstage? And Jay's answer was, if they
have a British accent, they can go back.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
True good way to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I have no idea who they.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Were, and but it was like, yeah, if they got
a British accent, but yeah, and then of course Ted
digit when Ted was here, he showed up and a
pickup truck at the gate. They were't gonna let him
in and he's like, I'm with the band and they're like,
sure you are.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I am the band.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Got this beat up.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Pickup truck with Michigan plates. It's like, I'm with the band,
like you listening to all.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
This radio traffic going some guys trying to get in
the game. That's pretty funny stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, backstage is always an adventure. Sometimes, as we know,
it gets money, it gets crazy, but those are always
lead to really fun stories. Because there's never an Allen
County Fair without a little bit of rain, just a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
You can't go nine days without rain. It's Ohio.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Hello, Yeah, I'm surprised we haven't had a blizzard during
one of the fairs.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Well, don't never say never.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So, I know you spend a lot of time out
here in this Fine Arts Building thing. They've got antiques,
they've got photography up there that.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
So what the heck are you doing in that building?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:54):
So the open class is very much like the Junior Fair.
You can still you can bring animals in open class
as well. But the Agon Fine Arts Building which is
in the four buildings on the north side of the
fair grounds, along with the Merchants Building, which is full
of lots of great businesses, the Youth Exhibits Building, which
(17:14):
is also full of all the all of the forage
projects that people don't normally think of when it comes
to you know, photography, rockets, fine arts, sewing, you know,
cake decorating. There's all kinds of amazing projects like that.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Undo that correct.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
The food part is always fun, But the Agon Fine
Arts Building is special. It is actually one of the
oldest things that is still part of the fair. There
are actually pictures that we have dating all the way
back to the you know, mid eighteen hundreds of the
Agon Fine Arts Building when they would bring all their
dried flowers in and hang them from the rafters of
(17:53):
the tents when it was just a tent city.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
But they're displays.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Each grain would bring in a play or make an
agricultural display. But the Agon Arts Building is really special,
and our ag and Fine Arts Building is we would
I would say we could put it up to anything
in the state because it is always jam packed. I know,
entries this year were up considerably and all of the departments,
(18:18):
which is awesome. But there's everything from antiques to wreaths,
gift wrapping, lots of sewing, quilled knitting, all that good stuff.
Table scapes if you like to decorate table photography, which
is amazing. And then on the other side, obviously all
(18:38):
the things that you would expect from an agricultural fair.
You know, who has the biggest pumpkin, the best sunflower, beekeeping,
the best tomatoes. There's all kinds of great stuff down
there that it's so fun. Me and Rusk get the
pleasure of sitting there and babysitting the building, and we
get the pleasure of watching people walk through, and I
(19:00):
truly think from a standpoint of.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
History and fair and family.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
It's so fun for people to bring somebody down and
show them their prize winning pumpkin or their best antique
that one because people still get excited about just the
big shiny ribbons. I mean they get money too, which
always helps, but that big shiny ribbon is why they
do it, and they they have fun.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
And it's bragging rights. It's true.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
And the Agon Fine Arts Building is a really special place,
super cool. It is definitely it is a little far
removed from what people consider kind of the family side
of the fair because it's down on the carnival end,
but it's definitely something to stop in and.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
See it is.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And I was down there earlier and they were getting there,
so all the grain and vegetable entries were in there,
and they told me this year they have over a
thousand entries. Just incredible, the vegetables and fruits and grains,
and that's that's just an incredible and in antiques that
we are involved with, I think we had.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Five hundred, yeah, over five hundred entries.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
And if you've never been in that building, the quilts
will blow you away.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Absolutely the quilts. We almost have more quilts than the
State Fair, which is so impressive. And the best part
now is quality closure way and the buildings are all
air conditioned now thanks to you guys, which is nice,
thanks for.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Kudos.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
They're all air conditioned, so it's a place to cool
off on those hot fair days. But it's also it's
just really fun to watch people walk through and expect.
The Youth Exhibits building is even more special because the
kids get to show off their projects, which is great.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And you know something we totally forget every year, but
I guess this is a great time to plug it
right here on the podcast. But also in that youth
building they have a silent auction for four Age.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
They do goes on all week, so you need to
stop it in there.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I've got a lot of cool light items. Just bid
on some stuff. You don't have to bid on everything,
to find a couple of things you like and go.
If I could get it for that'd be that'd be
a great deal. And know that the money is going
to Allen County four Age.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Yeah, Forage programming, Forage Camp, all the good things that
Forage does, school programs.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
I know they take tons.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Of chickens into hatch at many of the county schools
and even some daycares, and that's always fun to see
the kids interact with the chickens.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
All right, So, Chad use man, I really appreciate you
stopping by the podcast parlor. That's right, it was sort
of your brain child. Right, we're here and now you're
seeing it happen, right.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I love it. All right, thank you guys so much.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So we're off and running, great start to the twenty
twenty four seventy fourth Allen County Fair, and we'll be
back tomorrow
All right, we are back for ACF four on one
from the old milking parlor, this is now a podcast
parlor here at the Allen County Fair and thanks to
our host, iHeart podcast folks, and its powered by Ditriot.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And we want to thank everybody that's helping us put.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
This together, including April Spencer at spencer Shugar Shop.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You brought us a bunch of.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Cookies and they're really good, and we have two whole.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Trays of those. Chads. Chad said he'd.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Take one of them with you when they're delicious.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, okay, So joining me in the podcast parlor for
this episode, we have Chad use I can say this
Chad is former manager here at the Allen County Fair.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
But Chad, besides that, you've been a part of the
Allen County Fair for a long time.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
So let's talk about how you first got involved with
the fair and how we got.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
To where you are today.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
So I started working for the Allen County Fair in
the summer when I was nine y years old, and
I started out being the big lovable Maurice the cow
yes that walks around and gives people hugs and greets
all the little kids and goes to all the fun events.
From there, I worked in the office throughout high school,
(01:17):
ended up building one of the fair's first websites, manage
their social media for many years, still do a little
bit of that, but have been involved now with the
Fair over twenty five years, which is crazy, so more
than half of my life. But I've always been around,
always been a fair kid, never showed livestock, but always
(01:40):
did small projects here at the fair. So I was
a four age kid as well, But just have a
great admiration for the fair and love what it stands
for and love what it does for the community.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So we've got to talk about this because the fact
that we're even here doing podcasts is in a big part.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Due to you.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Because that's correct, Chad and I are superintendent's down in
the fine arts.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Ability doing antiques has nothing to do with the fact
that I'm older than crap, and that's not why I'm correct.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
We love it no matter how old.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yoah. Well, we're sitting out there and we're like, so
we need we need another.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Communications tool, and we talk about podcasts, and then we
ended up here in this milking parlor.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Please, So I do have to.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Tell you because we're making the announcement here. Troy knew
that we were gonna make this, he was gonna try
to be here, but obviously he's a busy, busy guy.
But Chad had the idea that if we were gonna
do the podcast and make the podcast Parlor out of
the milking parlor, we needed a cow. So we have
this inflatable cow right here, and we've named him, oh
or her.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
This is chad At and chat At is the official
cow part of the podcast Parlor, and we're gonna get
her little name tag and she'll be she'll have her
chat At on there.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
For the rest of the fair.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
But hey, when I was little, the milking parlor was
so cool because they actually would still at that point
bring the cows in and use it. And it's sat
here empty for many many years and kind of covered up.
So I'm just happy that the space is being used again,
and it's for something super cool and super advanced, because
that's what we gotta do.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
We gotta keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
So we're gonna be doing We're gonna be doing three
episodes of ACF four, one every day from the Allen
County Fair, and chat At will be a part of
every episode. We'll have Chad looking over our shoulder here
every episode. So what are I really wanted to start
talking about this with you? And that is this is
the one hundred and seventy fourth Allen County Fair.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So I have not been around to most.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Of them, I would hope not.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, but next year is a big it's a milestone.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
It's one hundred and seventy five Allen County Fairs next year,
and you, Chad, you are leading a committee on what
are we going to do special in twenty twenty five
to celebrate one hundred and seventy five years at the
Allen County Fair. So let's just start talking about how
do you even start to get your hands around that
(04:04):
and figure out what we're going to do and what's
going to be the same and what's going.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
To be different.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
So our goal is just to really make next year
stand out, make it new exciting things, but also make
it special. Five years ago, actually we've been planning for
around five years. We started filming a documentary that they
have been working on for five years and have captured
(04:29):
many of the people who helped make the fair what
it was for many years. Some of them have since passed,
so we're so happy that we've got their information and
got their knowledge on film to help add to the
one hundred and seventy fifth because if it wasn't for people,
there would not be a fair, and it was so special.
I got to interview most of those people. We still
(04:51):
have lots of interviews to actually do, but to hear
their stories and hear how.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They got involved.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
And I mean some of these people were involved for
over eighty years, which is amazing. And also to then
highlight all what's new and exciting and changing and highlight
the fair's really cool history. Most fairs in the state
of Ohio have kind of stayed where they always were,
you know, and that is not the case with Allen County.
(05:19):
We have only been on this spot since about nineteen
forty nine, is when they moved here. The first fair
was held in nineteen fifty. Before that, it was actually
held for one year where Arby's sets today, which was
called the Circus Grounds, so railroad was through there they stopped.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
They had the fair there.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Before that, it was held in Delphus for about twenty
years right on the streets of Delphus Before all the
people owned the shops in Delphus and decided, hey, we
don't like all the animals right in front of our shop.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Again, correct, down main street.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
He was getting a little wild back in the forties,
and then before that it was in many places in Lima.
One of those spots was where Lima memorial sits today,
was the old Lima Track and the grand stands set
there up on the hill. And before that it was
actually held on the Farot farm. So lots of history
(06:16):
with the fair which we want to highlight next year.
We plan on doing lots of historical displays, bringing out
some of the fair's archive, which is actually pretty extensive
and pretty well documented. But all in all, we just
want to add lots of fun things to the fair,
So there's going to be a variety of different things happening.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
So I've heard a lot of things kicked around for
the one hundred and something, except one of the things
that intrigues me quite a bit is this husband calling contest.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Correct.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
First off, I thought it was very sexist because there's
not a wife calling.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Well, we might have to do.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
This associated with it, but I don't know that means
we get ills up more than they do. But so
is that something they used to do and we're bringing
back or is this just we're pioneering.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
We got the idea actually from I believe the Iowa
State Fair does that, and that's really the I mean,
the fair community is a very small community. It's very large, obviously,
but it's also very small. So seeing what other fairs
have done, taking some of their great ideas and adapted, adapting,
how you know they come to the Allen County Fair
(07:26):
and how we do them here is what we're trying
to do.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
But yes, we plan on having a.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Watermelon eating contest, which is something that they did for
many years. I just learned recently that they did a
spittoon spitting contest and there was a winner and the
fifties that spit almost twenty fit feet, which is crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We have the trophy down there in the display case
this year.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Start practicing.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
There you go, There you go.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
But lots of exciting things also, some historic hopefully some
historic renovations, doing some fun things to the grounds that
will be here for the next one hundred and twenty
five to one hundred and seventy five years hopefully.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So let's talk about.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
So I you know, I just I'd like talking about
like just brainstorming some of the weird things that you know.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So, I know they talked about the watermelon eating.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I also liked the whole idea of people will remember
that the old pie eating contest where you have to
put your hands behind your back and eat the pie,
you know, just do it. And I in my suggestion,
you know, I was at one of those committee meetings.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I suggested that would be a great way for the
Fair Board to kick off the one hundred and.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Seventy fifth absolutely with all the board members lined up
eating pie with their hands tied behind their back.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Would that be I think we should put it on
the schedule now.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
And I think it should be blueberry.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
For sure, the messiest pie possible.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, and April Spencer said she'd bake them all.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
That's cut.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
She didn't know that, but so so she's got eighteen
pies to bake for next year.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
To work your calendar.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Put on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, Okay, I know they're talking about and you know,
nothing's casting stones, and we don't know what we're gonna
do or not do. But there might even be an
event or of too that's free in the Grand stand correct.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
I know Troy is working really hard and the board
to get some for the one hundred and fiftieth. They
have lots of really awesome free events in the grandstand,
and I know they're working on putting some things together
for next year as well. We've heard things like concerts,
We've heard things like rodeos, all kinds of fun things.
So it's really what falls in the schedule obviously of
(09:32):
the fair, but then obviously making it special and different
because it is one hundred and seventy fifth. I know
a lot of the departments are planning on doing special
categories next year down in the ag and Fine Arts building,
which will be fun. They'll obviously be a special logo,
special banners, so all the commemorative items of what makes
(09:52):
up a historic here.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So you're sharing this committee. So I'm going right to
the man himself. I heard a rumor.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
That there was going to be a really cool historic
display underneath the grand stand next year.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
That is the goal.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
And right now I have a building full of artifacts
that is going to be put together and then we'll
be moved here and we're going to use it for
filming for the documentary for the last couple interviews that
we have to do for the documentary, and then all
that stuff will be moved here. And the goal is
to make a nice historic display under the grandstand and
also make a meet and greet just like Disney World.
(10:27):
You know, you got to compare yourself to Disney World
for Maurice, so he can actually have scheduled times where
he can come out and get historic photos with the fairgoers.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So what do we have a did we you know,
because you've been researching this stuff, now, was there a
mascot before?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Resa?
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Maurice was dreamed up in nineteen ninety seven by Jay
Beg who was a past fair manager. And Maurice has
been around since nineteen ninety seven.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
That is the first mascot.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
So obviously.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
So yeah, that's like Mickey Mouse at Disney Correct.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And what's really cool is the same people who make
Mickey Mouse made Maurice.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Get out of Here. Yep.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
So Olympus Flags and Banner in Milwaukee actually designed some
of Disney's costumes and they designed Maurice the Cow as well.
And this is our second Maurice costume.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
So where's the first? Is in the museum?
Speaker 4 (11:22):
It is not, it's actually still in the Fair office
because we keep it if we need extra, you know,
extra spare parts. Every once in a while it comes out,
but it definitely has shown its age.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
It's a little rough.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I love having a guest because like, you really know
everything about that. So the guitar, the guitar tell us
about the guitar.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
So there are actually two guitars and they live at
my house. There are we.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
I started that, I think the second year I worked here,
I walked over to Walmart. Walmart was new at that time,
and I bought a really chinsey, cheap guitar because I
was like, we have to document all of the famous
musicians that come and perform at the Owen County Fair.
And since then, every year I sneak in a guitar
to the artist. I know the right people. I make
(12:10):
sure that it gets signed and that will be on
display next year at the one seventy fifth. Both guitars,
because they are almost solely ful go through.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Some of the names that they'll see. All that get
the guitars are just cool.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I mean there's everyone from Lady A all the way
back to when sugar Land was here. I mean it
goes back almost twenty five years at this point, so
you have some pretty big name acts that have been here.
Hardy signed it last year. I don't know if there
actually is an artist that has not signed it in
(12:43):
the past twenty five years, which is pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's very cool. It's very cool. You know.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
We were talking earlier than tonight about with Charlie Whiteel
about all the concerts and stuff, and one of the
cool things that I've been associated with for the last twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
One twenty two years is kind of like hosting the
artists while they're here anything there, wherever they want to go,
if they want to go play golf or whatever. Some
of them go fishing.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
So when you talked about Lady A, I thought one
of the coolest things that I remember from Lady A
was we took them to a local pond. They wanted
to go fishing, so Lady A, I mean, there they are,
they're out fishing. They caught seven largemouth bass that they
have a chef that travels with them, so they brought
the seven bass back to the fair grounds with them
(13:29):
and that was their dinner the night before the night
right before the concert, and they talked on stage about
how they'd had such a good time and they were
fishing and caught.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Their dinner here in Ohio.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
And it's pretty cool, but it's neat to see some
of the things the artists do while they're here, because
they've you know, they they go work out, they go
play golf, they go shop.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Everybody thinks backstage is this big, elaborate production, and really
it's just people living their everyday lives. They you know,
they're just like you and I. They want to have
fun and obviously they're here to put on a show,
but they want to go fishing, and they want to
go shopping, and sometimes they want to ride rides. That's
happened before as well.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I remember Rascal Flats.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
They were here and their families were with them, and
one of their kids were out of the midway and
won a goldfish. Yeah, and so the band's on tour.
They come backstage. They've got this goldfish in a bag. Dad,
look what I want. Dad looks over at me and says, Russ,
I need you to go to Walmart.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
I need you to get a fish bowl and some
fish food. And then he looks at me and said,
but don't buy a lot. We're just trying to make them.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
You know, it look like we're helping here, but it was.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
But you know, it's just it's like any other family.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
It's all of a sudden, kids all excited, they want
the goldfish. Mom and dad are like, oh man, he
wanted goldfish.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
It's fun to see them because they are just they're
just families trying to like you know, I'm always surprised,
especially with the Country Act, how many families travel was
you know, the wife and the kids are over here
and they're out having fun at the fair.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Nobody has any idea who they are.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah, and they I mean sometimes they bring everybody, Grandma,
grandpa and uncles. They sit back there and eat with
their with their families. The bath wild Cat Den has
fed a lot of people don't even know that The
bath wild Cat Den has fed them.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
For years and years and years.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
They have an amazing catering crew that has taken care
of the artist for even longer than I've been around.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So one of the funny ones too, is Deaf Leopard.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
They were here and of course they're British, right, so
the wife and the kids and stuff. They're all and
you don't think about death Leopard have wives and kids, right,
but the wives and kids are all out on the
midway and this is Jay, who's still a fair manager
and and I.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Know the question came up from security.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
It's like, well, how are we gonna they don't have
any passes or anything, how are we going to know
the love of backstage? And Jay's answer was, if they
have a British accent, they can go back.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
True good way to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I have no idea who they.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Were, and but it was like, yeah, if they got
a British accent, but yeah, and then of course Ted
digit when Ted was here, he showed up and a
pickup truck at the gate. They were't gonna let him
in and he's like, I'm with the band and they're like,
sure you are.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I am the band.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Got this beat up.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Pickup truck with Michigan plates. It's like, I'm with the band,
like you listening to all.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
This radio traffic going some guys trying to get in
the game. That's pretty funny stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Yeah, backstage is always an adventure. Sometimes, as we know,
it gets money, it gets crazy, but those are always
lead to really fun stories. Because there's never an Allen
County Fair without a little bit of rain, just a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
You can't go nine days without rain. It's Ohio.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Hello, Yeah, I'm surprised we haven't had a blizzard during
one of the fairs.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Well, don't never say never.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
So, I know you spend a lot of time out
here in this Fine Arts Building thing. They've got antiques,
they've got photography up there that.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
So what the heck are you doing in that building?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:54):
So the open class is very much like the Junior Fair.
You can still you can bring animals in open class
as well. But the Agon Fine Arts Building which is
in the four buildings on the north side of the
fair grounds, along with the Merchants Building, which is full
of lots of great businesses, the Youth Exhibits Building, which
(17:14):
is also full of all the all of the forage
projects that people don't normally think of when it comes
to you know, photography, rockets, fine arts, sewing, you know,
cake decorating. There's all kinds of amazing projects like that.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Undo that correct.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
The food part is always fun, But the Agon Fine
Arts Building is special. It is actually one of the
oldest things that is still part of the fair. There
are actually pictures that we have dating all the way
back to the you know, mid eighteen hundreds of the
Agon Fine Arts Building when they would bring all their
dried flowers in and hang them from the rafters of
(17:53):
the tents when it was just a tent city.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
But they're displays.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Each grain would bring in a play or make an
agricultural display. But the Agon Arts Building is really special,
and our ag and Fine Arts Building is we would
I would say we could put it up to anything
in the state because it is always jam packed. I know,
entries this year were up considerably and all of the departments,
(18:18):
which is awesome. But there's everything from antiques to wreaths,
gift wrapping, lots of sewing, quilled knitting, all that good stuff.
Table scapes if you like to decorate table photography, which
is amazing. And then on the other side, obviously all
(18:38):
the things that you would expect from an agricultural fair.
You know, who has the biggest pumpkin, the best sunflower, beekeeping,
the best tomatoes. There's all kinds of great stuff down
there that it's so fun. Me and Rusk get the
pleasure of sitting there and babysitting the building, and we
get the pleasure of watching people walk through, and I
(19:00):
truly think from a standpoint of.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
History and fair and family.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
It's so fun for people to bring somebody down and
show them their prize winning pumpkin or their best antique
that one because people still get excited about just the
big shiny ribbons. I mean they get money too, which
always helps, but that big shiny ribbon is why they
do it, and they they have fun.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
And it's bragging rights. It's true.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
And the Agon Fine Arts Building is a really special place,
super cool. It is definitely it is a little far
removed from what people consider kind of the family side
of the fair because it's down on the carnival end,
but it's definitely something to stop in and.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
See it is.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And I was down there earlier and they were getting there,
so all the grain and vegetable entries were in there,
and they told me this year they have over a
thousand entries. Just incredible, the vegetables and fruits and grains,
and that's that's just an incredible and in antiques that
we are involved with, I think we had.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Five hundred, yeah, over five hundred entries.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
And if you've never been in that building, the quilts
will blow you away.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Absolutely the quilts. We almost have more quilts than the
State Fair, which is so impressive. And the best part
now is quality closure way and the buildings are all
air conditioned now thanks to you guys, which is nice,
thanks for.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Kudos.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
They're all air conditioned, so it's a place to cool
off on those hot fair days. But it's also it's
just really fun to watch people walk through and expect.
The Youth Exhibits building is even more special because the
kids get to show off their projects, which is great.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
And you know something we totally forget every year, but
I guess this is a great time to plug it
right here on the podcast. But also in that youth
building they have a silent auction for four Age.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
They do goes on all week, so you need to
stop it in there.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I've got a lot of cool light items. Just bid
on some stuff. You don't have to bid on everything,
to find a couple of things you like and go.
If I could get it for that'd be that'd be
a great deal. And know that the money is going
to Allen County four Age.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Yeah, Forage programming, Forage Camp, all the good things that
Forage does, school programs.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
I know they take tons.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Of chickens into hatch at many of the county schools
and even some daycares, and that's always fun to see
the kids interact with the chickens.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
All right, So, Chad use man, I really appreciate you
stopping by the podcast parlor. That's right, it was sort
of your brain child. Right, we're here and now you're
seeing it happen, right.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I love it. All right, thank you guys so much.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
So we're off and running, great start to the twenty
twenty four seventy fourth Allen County Fair, and we'll be
back tomorrow
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