Despite this year’s theme — “E-I-E-I-Go!” — the annual Island County Fair is much more than a little collection of vowels.
It’s an alphabet soup of fun, food, kids and competition that will delight young and old alike.
The fair continues today and Sunday at the fairgrounds in Langley, and to spell this out to readers, the Record presents the fair from A to Z.
It was a moment that Giovanni the alpaca had trained for: the gambler’s choice competition.
A
Annalies Schuster, 15, guided the alpaca through the obstacle course on a trial run before the official competition on Thursday.
Giovanni, with just a bit of hesitation, made his way slowly through the course.
“At first, the [carnival] rides disturbed him. But after that, he was better,” said Annalies, a member of Inca Pride Alpacas.
She said she had already put Giovanni through an obstacle course at home in Langley to prepare him for this year’s fair.
“Unless they are trained, they’re very shy,” she explained.
“We try to find scary things,” Annalies said, to desensitize alpacas for competitions.
“They don’t want to walk over a tarp, for example,” she said. “The noise and the colors scare them.”
B
How do you clean a cow? Or better yet, how do you buff a bovine?
Daniel Caron has all the answers.
Caron spent a good part of Wednesday morning giving a bath to Beefy C, the cow that the 15-year-old Langley resident brought to the county fair.
Ample cleaning supplies are essential.
“You need soap, you need brushes,” Daniel explained.
Surprisingly, the hardest part of the cow to wash is the part that stares back at you.
“It’s probably the face, because they are always jerking it around a lot when you try to wash it,” he said.
After the bath, Daniel took the long hose from an air compressor and started drying off Beefy C, from one end to the other. Next up was a clip job for Beefy C, said the 4-H’er, a member of the Central Whidbey Cattlemen club.
Fairgoers will have a great chance to meet — and maybe eventually eat — the best of this year’s bovines at the 4-H livestock auction today.
The sale starts at noon in the livestock arena.
C
With the showmanship competition for the fair’s best canines on Thursday all done, Millie, a 1-year-old Brittany, finally had a chance to relax. And for her owner, Ainsley Nelson, 9, of Clinton, the moment couldn’t have come sooner.
Ainsley, a member of the 4-H Happy Hounds club, said Millie was a little too excited when she finally got her chance to perform in the dog arena. But then again, it was her first fair.
“She did good, but she was a little hyper,” Ainsley said. “She’s been in the stall for the whole day, and was like, ‘Finally! I can be free! I can run!’”
D
Island County Democrats knew they’d have a visit from President Barack Obama at this year’s fair, because it was all on paper.
Cardboard, actually.
A life-size cutout of the president was the hit of the Democrats booth at the fair, and people slipped behind the tables filled with hats, T-shirts and bumper stickers to get their photos snapped with the cardboard commander-in-chief.
Erica Schumacher, chairwoman of Island County Democrats, said the best sellers were T-shirts with Obama and a healthcare theme, as well as one with a Ghandi quote: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
“It’s been very positive,” Schumacher said. “So far we haven’t gotten into any heated discussions with anybody. It’s been mostly people walking by with thumbs up, or asking about local races.”
E
Entertainment at the fair continues today and Sunday with a variety of musical presentations. Tonight on the Midway Stage, catch John Dunnigan at 5:45 p.m., Cee Cee James at 6:45 and the Doo-Wah Riders at 8:30.
On Sunday, the Midway Stage features Danny Ward at 9:30 a.m., a Bob Dylan tribute at 11:45 a.m., Janie & Joe at 1 p.m., “Live & Local Talent Show” at 2:30 and the Magic of Sterling Dietz at 5:15.
F
The fairgrounds hasn’t seen someone move this quick since the days of the Barnyard Scramble.
When the gates opened for this year’s Island County Fair, Sue Knoth’s family was the first past the ticket takers.
Pushing a stroller with her 18-month-old Fiona, and with niece Katherine Jacobson-Ross of Clinton in tow, the Kodiak, Alaska native was kicking up dust as she made a beeline to the goat barn.
“We’ve got family showing animals and their show starts in a couple minutes,” she said.
G
Fairgoers stepped up with vigor and took their chances at prizes Thursday at the colorful games booths along the Midway.
Hoops were shot, balls were tossed at bottles, rings were flung at pegs and darts were tossed at balloons in spirited pursuit of colorful prizes, mostly stuffed.
Brendan Wakefield, 7, a Bothell second-grader, won a stuffed snake for puncturing balloons with darts, using a killer overhand technique.
“It’s easy,” he said.
Brendan’s parents, Philip and Diana, were born on Whidbey and come to the fair every year, his dad said.
Brendan, meanwhile, considered having another go at the darts and a chance to trade up to a stuffed dragon, prompted by the carnival guy on the other side of the counter.
“I will if I can,” Brendan said.
H
Cornstarch: It’s not just for thickening gravy anymore.
Ellie Ledgerwood, 15, was halfway through a box as she worked outside the horse barn on Thursday morning outside.
Ellie, a member of the Coupeville Cossacks 4-H Club, was rubbing the stuff on the “socks” of her horse Khemo.
“It makes them look whiter,” she said.
Horse judging was held at the Jim Eakin Arena on Friday, but 4-H members will have their steeds in fine form again today for the parade through Langley that starts at 10 a.m. and ends at the fairgrounds.
Later today, club drills are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in the arena, to be followed by the stick horse races at 1 and Western Gaming at 1:30 p.m.
I
The best way to enjoy the fair is to find your way around efficiently. An information booth staffed by volunteers is right inside the main gate. It offers maps and brochures of the fairgrounds with each destination of interest highlighted, along with a complete schedule of the day’s 4-H and entertainment events.
J
You can’t win a ribbon at the fair’s 4-H events unless a judge says you win.
Stephanie Lampi of Mountlake Terrace has been judging horse events at regional fairs and shows for the past 10 years, but this was her first time at the Island County Fair.
On Thursday, Lampi monitored the final young contestant of the day in the horse-and-cart Reinsmanship competition. She smiled warmly and watched closely and took notes as the girl guided her pony and cart through a series of maneuvers to demonstrate obedience, poise and control.
“It’s a nice 4-H program they have here,” Lampi said. “They’re good kids.”
K
The free kids games at the Fiddle Faddle Farm are certainly living up to this year’s theme: “Corn is everywhere.”
There are corn-themed puzzles, a sandbox with kids toys that’s filled with corn kernels instead of sand, a bean-bag toss with corn bags, and, of course, the wisdom of Don LaMontagne.
LaMontagne, president of Kiwanis of South Whidbey, stood by the corn-bag toss dispensing advice to the kids who were aiming for a prize.
After one youngster bounced a corn bag off the wall behind the target, LaMontagne piped up.
“It’s not a matter of how hard you throw it, but how far,” LaMontagne said. “If you don’t believe me, ask the Mariners.”
Early Thursday, a half hour before the opening of this year’s fair, three youngsters were taking turns at the bag-toss game, hoping to win a free prize.
“Look at this: 100 percent of all the kids at the fair are here,” LaMontagne quipped.
Kaliska Simcoe, 13, of Sequim, took aim and walked away with a prize panda: a small Beanie Baby stuffed animal.
This year marks the 40th year for the Kiwanis at the Island County Fair. About 25 members of the club are running the games at the Fiddle Faddle Farm.
“It’s all for the right price. It’s free, because it’s Kiwanis,” LaMontagne said.
L
Snip, snip, snip. Hayley Lundstrum, 13, moved a pair of sheers back and forth across Snickers, her 5-month-old Border Leicester sheep, as the pair prepared for the animal’s big debut at the 4-H sheep judging competition later Thursday.
Hayley was trying to shape the wool on the lamb by removing the “bad tips” from the animal’s wool where it looked uneven, a job that had already taken two hours.
“It’s like layer after layer,” she said. “It’s kind of annoying.”
The only thing sweet so far about the work was the lamb’s name.
Hayley explained: “I just like to come up with a theme. I named all my sheep after candy this year.”
Her five other lambs are called Mike and Ike, Skittles, Starburst and Jawbreaker.
M
A loopy time was had by all as kids large and small took a tour of the Magic Maze on the Midway on Thursday afternoon.
Youngsters from tykes to teens climbed the steps to the porch of the garishly painted portable building, passed through a hallway of mirrors, climbed the steps to the second floor for a little bouncing, running and shouting to family and friends below, then piled onto a curly slide and swirled back to Earth.
When they landed, they jumped off the slide and headed back inside.
“Wheee!” said a girl of about 4 as she slid down the slide backwards on her stomach. “Wheee!”
N
Savannah Taylor would not be tempted.
She walked past the stand with buffalo burgers. She passed by the taco stand, passed by pizza. Past corn dogs and curly fries.
Finally, she stopped at the “Noodles and Chicken” stand for a big plate of noodles.
Noodles?
“They’re really good,” she said, explaining her choice of fair food.
“I just really, really like them.”
O
Beyond the entertainment offered on multiple stages at the Island County Fair, the next best thing — after people-watching — are the snippets of conversation often overheard amid the crowd.
Take this exchange, from Wednesday in front of the American Legion’s popular food booth on the midway:
Woman running up to a friend ordering a hamburger: “Did you get it with cheese? Get cheese, it’s free!”
Other person: “Free? Why? Is it really old, or something?”
P
If these chickens ever tried to cross the road, there’s no doubt they’d stop traffic.
Aurora and Oona Coffey of Langley brought quite a pair of birds to this year’s 4-H poultry exhibit.
Aurora, 9, is showing a breed called a Silkie — chicken with puffy white feathers that originates in Asia.
Her sister, Oona, 7, had brought her chicken “Sparrow,” a Belgian Bearded d’Uccles breed with mottled plummage that didn’t look much like its namesake.
Not that Oona noticed. “She looks like a sparrow,” she said as she took a break during practice for the showmanship event.
Which bird is the better looking? Fairgoers will find out at this year’s poultry judging contest, scheduled for 10 a.m. today in the poultry barn.
4-H members will get a chance to show what they know about poultry — four toes or five? — at the poultry quiz bowl, which follows at 11 a.m.
Q
Look behind some of the most impressive quilts on display at this year’s fair and you’ll find a few amazing stories.
Example: Mary Bassett of Useless Bay.
“She has made 20 full-size quilts in the last month,” said an amazed Ginny Snyder, the open class superintendent for quilting.
“She came in this morning and she was an honored guest,” Snyder recalled. Bassett was met at the gate and given a ride aboard a golf cart to the exhibit hall. She tried to pay her way in — and brought donations for the Good Cheer Food Bank, as well — but her fellow quilters would have none of that.
Snyder said Bassett wrapped up her day with strawberry shortcake before getting a sendoff from the Marines manning the front gate.
R
Mainlanders who wander past the Island County Republicans booth may do a double take.
That’s OK. Debbie Cunningham is used to it.
Cunningham, the president of the Central Whidbey Republican Women, bears a little more than a passing resemblance to a certain former Alaskan governor.
People often approach her for a better look, just to be sure.
She recalled a recent trip aboard an Alaska Airlines flight.
“I was walking down the jetway and the attendant did a double take,” Cunningham recalled. “She said, ‘Oh my gosh, when I first saw you, I thought …”
The flight attendant then asked if Cunningham was up for a practical joke. She then went to the intercom and announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted you to know that we have a very special guest flying with us today — former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.”
Cunningham was at the front of the plane, and stood up and did the happy clap gesture that Palin is known for, followed by the standard parade wave. As the passengers began to applaud, the flight attendant made another announcement: “You just got punked!”
S
It’s tough to do your best work in the horse competitions if you don’t have a good saddle.
Hunter Newman, 11, a sixth-grader from Clinton, proudly displayed the leather seat he uses on his 6-year-old filly Charm for horse events involving his 4-H club, the Whidbey Wranglers.
Hunter participates in the gaming and performance competitions, and Wednesday won a red ribbon.
Hunter said he’s been riding horses since he was a tot, and that this was his second year of competition at the fair. It was Charm’s second year, too, he said.
As for saddling up, he added: “It only takes about a minute or two, but I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
T
When you work long and hard at horsemanship, it’s nice to have something to show for it. Something like a trophy.
Morgan Mackie, 13, a Langley eighth-grader, won a slick piece of hardware at the fair Wednesday for being named Grand Champion in the Western Pleasure competition at the horse arena.
She and her quarter horse Zee Valentino bested the competition in the category and rode off with the prize. Morgan also won a green ribbon and a belt buckle for fitting and showing.
U
When someone wants to talk seriously about something at the fair, there’s nothing like a uniform to get the message across.
Members of Whidbey General Hospital’s Emergency Medical Service and firefighters from Island County Fire District 3 were set up near each other and stressing safety first.
The firefighters had one of their pumper trucks on display, and kids were waiting in line to climb behind the wheel.
Robert May, a hospital paramedic and EMS public education officer, said EMS sets up at the fair every years, and almost always gets into the act for real at some point.
“Every year it seems we deal with bunny bites, bee stings, scrapes and sprains, and falls from horses,” May said.
He’s working for nothing, but at least he gets to do it sitting down.
V
John Ohm, 81, is one of the volunteers monitoring the rear gate at the Island County Fairgrounds.
“They’re always trying to park back here,” Ohm said of the area reserved for the 4-H participants.
Sandey Brandon, fair manager, said the annual event needs from 200 to 300 volunteers to clean, set up, monitor displays, sell and take tickets, sometimes to provide security and for numerous other tasks.
W
The Weenie Wagon is still going strong under the horse arena building at the fair, dispensing burgers, hot dogs and almost every other morsel of fair food, along with an assortment of beverages.
Klaus Zuiderbaan and Sally Berry bought the business as a going concern from Jim Eakin of Langley about seven years ago.
“Jim wanted us to call it the Green Pickle,” Berry said. “But I didn’t want to call it that.”
Zuiderbaan said that business has been “pretty good” so far, but added: “We don’t need a wheelbarrow to bring the money to the bank.”
X
If there’s one thing you can always count on at the fair, it’s excitement (sorry, we couldn’t find a xylophone at this year’s fair).
There’s nothing like the rapid ups, downs and arounds of the roller coaster, not to mention the swirling Gravatron and the majestic Ferris wheel.
Abbi Russell, 6, of Seattle, was a little shaky on her feet after a trip on the roller coaster on Thursday, but recovered quickly and started to lobby her mother for another ride.
Abbi said she didn’t scream during the ride, but she did hold on tight, unlike other passengers who flung their arms in the air to demonstrate their daring-do.
The scariest part of the ride?
“When we went around the corners,” Abbi said.
Going again? “I hope,” she said.
There’s more x-citement today with the Cat Olympics at 1 p.m. at the Cat Barn and the rodeo mini mechanical bull at 2:30 and
5:30 next to Fiddle Faddle Farm.
Y
If there’s one group most representative of the fair, it’s the youngsters.
The fair wouldn’t be the same without their smiles, excitement and general wonderment.
Perfect examples are twins Ryder and Rhianna Hobbs, and Ahnika Burt, all 8 years old and from Freeland.
They soaked up the sun watching the horses from the bleachers at the horse arena on Wednesday afternoon. They’re entering artwork, bread and vegetable critters for judging this year, but at the moment were taking things easy.
What do they like best about the fair?
“Everything,” said Ahnika.
“That’s what I should have said,” said Ryder.
“I like watching the horses,” Rhianna said. “I want to come every day.”
Z
In a world of color, there’s nothing that grabs more attention than a little black and white.
In the case of the Knight Riders 4-H horse club of Clinton, it’s a zebra.
The fiberglass quadruped was acquired by the fair from a shop no longer in business next to the Greenbank Store on Highway 525.
“The fair didn’t know what to do with it, so we took it,” said Marilyn Gabelein of Clinton, who negotiated the transfer to the Knight Riders.
Gabelein said members of the club have prepared an educational display about zebras inside their barn, and have decorated the area with zebra paraphernalia.
So now the zebra stands proudly at the corner of the Knight Riders barn, where it apparently has been attracting plenty of attention.
On Thursday, there was a sign on its back: Please don’t touch or sit on the zebra.
