Small Town America

It is the time of year when the end of summer is just around the corner. For me, that means a busy time at work and the back to school season which just completed in our area. With that comes a changing of the guard for the seasons and all that goes with it; the nights begin to get cooler so a good nights sleep is a little better and small town America comes to life.

This is the time of festivals and county fairs across our country. Usually, this time of year I am far too busy at work to attend some of these, and they are diverse. In our area we have the Popcorn Festival, the Tomato Festival, The Pumpkin Festival and my favorite, the Sweet Corn Festival on the shores of Buckeye Ocean.

If you ever want to see the quintessential small town, go to a festival. You'll see everything from kiddy rides to arcade games, to games of chance which always seemed to be orchestrated by the local fire departments, Order of Something or Other or a Catholic organization of some sort. We Catholics always seem to be around the beer and gambling. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps it's in the bible, who knows.

Well, this year My Beloved and I were able to get to the Sweet Corn Festival with her cousin Red and her husband Chester the Charmer. The weather was perfect with high skies and cool temps as we walked about the grounds beneath tall trees. The food was what you should have at festivals; something on a stick, cooked and baked sweet treats of all sorts and whatever the festival is about, in this case, sweet corn. The next best thing is people-watching. You see all sorts from the old farmer and his wife as they stroll down memory lane to the goth chick and friends. You get the football players and the cheerleaders, the hoe-down on the platform where the old folks dance and everything in-between. It was a lovely evening all-in-all.

I'm sure there are still festivals and county fairs yet to go as the heartlands and the Midwest still have plenty of good weather left before the harvests. Get out and enjoy yourself before old man winter extends an icy finger in your direction.