Let's ride at the Crawford County Fair
Aug. 22—WEST MEAD TOWNSHIP — As the past two years have shown, a fair without carnival rides is better than no fair at all, but a fair with rides — well, for many, particularly among the younger set of fairgoers — that's what the fair is all about.
The 2022 Crawford County Fair kicked off Sunday and at 4 p.m. riders began climbing aboard merry-go-round horses, tilting and whirling cars, scrambling cars, Ferris wheels and swinging pirate ships.
Aboard the Sea Ray swinging pirate ship, 6-year-old Lily Hitchingham's smiling face — painted in the style of a pink puppy — and outstretched arms gave as clear a comment as possible regarding the return of rides to the county fair for the first time since 2019.
Hitchingham didn't say a word but offered as eloquent a comment as could be asked for regarding the return of rides to the fair: Smiling widely, her arms stretched to the sky, she was the picture of delight. As the pirate ship slowed to a stop, she unboarded, raced around to the entrance, and climbed aboard for another spin.
Nearby, 9-year-old Delmer Reynolds of Meadville was being squeezed into the corner of the Scrambler ride as he spun around and around with his cousin Mason Deeter, 8, and sister, Isabella, 11.
After trying about five of the 18 rides at the fair in less than two hours, Reynolds declared the Scrambler his favorite. He had also decided that at least one of the rides would have to wait — the Cuda, which not only scrambled its passengers at high speed, but tilted and whirled them at the same time.
"I saw how fast it was," a wide-eyed Wyatt said, explaining why he had crossed off the Cuda from his list of rides to ride.
Isabella, meanwhile, offered a positive early review of the rides' return to the midway area. The last time rides were featured at the fair, they were moved closer to Gate 1, but this year, they're back near the midway, where Isabella appreciated the atmosphere and convenience.
But while the rides were receiving plenty of customers soon after opening Sunday, some fairgoers were noticeably absent. Delmer Reynolds and Sarah Lexso, for instance, brought Wyatt, Isabella and Mason to the fair, but didn't accompany them on the Scrambler.
"I'm not a big rides guy," Delmer said, recalling how a negative experience had turned him off after enjoying rides as a child. These days, he has more fun watching his kids ride, enjoying the food and animals, and watching the demolition derby on the fair's final day.
Lexso, on the other hand, was willing but unable to ride with the kids.
"I want to so bad," she said with a glance downward to where Wyatt and Isabella's future sibling was gestating. Because she's pregnant, Lexso was abstaining from tilting, whirling, spinning and swinging at the fair.
"Little bro says no," she said with a smile.
Spectating seemed to be a trend among parents: Mike and Lisa Hitchingham were content to watch Lily ride the Sea Ray rather than join her. The family had driven about four hours from their home in Dundee, Michigan, to attend the fair's opening night. They don't know anyone in the area and had come specifically to attend the Darci Lynne performance at the grandstand Sunday evening. Lily enjoys watching the ventriloquist and youngest winner of NBC's "America's Got Talent" on YouTube, the couple explained.
While waiting for the show, they were enjoying the rides — or enjoying watching the rides.
"I don't ride them at all," a laughing Mike said.
"I get nauseated too quickly, so I can ride them every once in a while, but man, " Lisa said, glancing toward her daughter, "she can handle it, nonstop."
You can ride
Ride passes are $20 today through Thursday, when rides will operate from 1 to 5 and from 6 to 10 p.m.
Ride passes are $20 Friday and Saturday, when rides will operate from 1 to 5 and from 6 to 11 p.m.
Individual ride tickets can also be purchased for $1.25, with admission to most rides requiring three, four or five tickets. A package of 25 tickets is also available for $25.
Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .
