Mannington District Fair expression of local agrarian heritage and multiple talents
Aug. 13—MANNINGTON — The Mannington District Fair has all the usual staples found at a summertime fair. However, the fair itself is more than a temporary theme park with rides, concerts and food. It's an expression of the local community's skills, tenacity and pride.
"It gives the community the opportunity, those that have the horses, that have their animals, to do the local horse shows and show their animals," Eva Yoho, the fair's treasurer, said. "It gives them an opportunity to come in and show what they actually have, and they're proud of what they have."
This summer, the fair enters its 90th year. It began in 1932 and was incorporated into the fair known today in 1934.
Tina Cowger, the WVU Extension Agent for 4-H and youth development in Marion County, said that the fair started as a way to show off products that came from the homestead. These products ranged from farm animals to produce and quilts. Even if some of the competitions came with bragging rights, it still allowed residents to build camaraderie with each other.
However, those bragging rights were often well deserved. To compete successfully in some of the fair's contests meant having a mastery over certain skills crucial to living out in the country, such as animal husbandry and produce. Over time, the types of skills showcased in competition expanded, cataloging the rich tapestry of ability and talent found in Mannington and Marion County as a whole.
"The fair has grown and changed, people can even show off their photography skills or their talent on the stage, with the singing and different things," Cowger said. "Even the vendors that come in, they're selling the food and competing for who has the best hot dog. It's a way to celebrate the best of what we have here in Marion County."
The Mannington District Fair also provides a way to have the lessons that older generations learned the hard way get passed onto the next generation. John Postlethwait, agriculture education instructor at the Marion County Technical Center, teaches animal systems, animal processing and natural resource management.
"They learn all about where all the food and fiber and basically everything that makes society, society comes from," he said. "Hopefully it makes them a little bit smarter, a little more educated about where all those goods come from."
Practically, that means learning by doing. Postlethwait said that most of the projects his students do can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to grow.
"Have you ever tried playing tug of war with a 1,400 pound calf?" he said, which is like a German Shepherd times 10. "Some of our young ladies here barely break 100 and they're playing tug of war with something five, six times their weight."
The fair is a chance for Postlethwait to show off his pride in his students, and display their successes in one of the barns dedicated to the agriculture program at the technical center.. That's a call back to the original purpose of the fair, which was to show off the best of the best community wares and goods.
Amy Clutter's daughters are among the students showing off their livestock projects at the fair. Her oldest daughter started showing rabbits three years ago, and has a goal to show one of each species before she ages out of the program at 21.
"I mean, it's agriculture, everybody eats," she said. "It, in a sense, affects everybody. For my kids I like it because it teaches them a lot of responsibility."
Rodney Hayes feeds and takes care of rabbits that are shown at the fair. The small animals, as well as chickens and baby chicks, are a popular draw with children. Hayes works with his wife Beatrice, and together they've been doing the job for about 2 years.
Watching the joy children get out of encountering the animals is one of Hayes' greatest delights. The fair is more than just buying a ticket and enjoying the rides. The bottom line is, the fair is about community.
"It's about people," Hayes said. "You meet people you ain't seen for years. I just met a cousin from Ohio. We sat here and talked for four hours today. And I really enjoyed that, that brought a lot of joy to my life, especially seeing someone you haven't seen for years."
Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com
