Whether yo go for the fried dough, livestock, horticulture or rides, the Chenango County Fair has something to offer everyone.
That’s what we discovered yesterday as we walked through the crowded fairgrounds. After eating an entirely unhealthy lunch of fried food and ice cream, we took a trip through the exhibition hall to see what treasures awaited us.
Besides the usual sights, in approximately 15 minutes, we were able to sign up to win a television, an iPod, a new washer and dryer, a couple houses (which we do not yet own) full of windows, food for restaurants that are not available within 40 miles and of course $50,000 in home improvements for those houses we still do not own. We also managed to score a free back pack, a year’s supply of writing utensils, a fan, which was appreciated in yesterday’s 90 degree temperatures and a couple free tickets for rides.
Neither of us had gone on the rides at the fair since our younger days, and the minute we scored the tickets, we began giggling and running around the fair like a couple of five-year-olds. (Which shows yet another thing the fair offers free of charge – the chance to be a kid again.) The following is a play-by-play description of the day’s events.

Jill: Looking at the tickets, I imagined Jessica and I on rides with wind in our hair and not a care in the world. Just then Jessica piped up and said she had never ridden a Ferris Wheel. “You’re kidding, right?” I asked. “No, really,” she said. So, after a small debate and some hair pulling in front of what Jessica kept referring to as a death trap, I and a couple of ride handlers convinced her the ride was fun.
We got on board, which I will have to admit was hard for Jessica to do with her eyes closed, and sat down. As the ride lifted off, Jessica grabbed the metal bar in the middle of the ride and held on for dear life. I tried to get her to look around, but a look of terror slowly clouded her vision. “See, we should have gone on the Zipper like I wanted to, Jess,” I told her. “At least then if we fell, we would be in a cage.” We wouldn’t really die, I say. “We would probably only get a concussion.”
Jessica: I don’t know what people think is so fun about riding a Ferris Wheel. The concept never appealed to me. Maybe that’s because I’m terrified of heights and the contraption is a seat that’s barely connected to a giant circle that dangles you hundreds of feet off the ground.
With thoughts like these racing through my mind, there’s no doubt I was a little reluctant when Jill suggested we try it out. I made it to the front of the line before I decided I would rather not. “Don’t be a chicken,” Jill said, making pretend wings with her arms and flapping them at me. “It’s not the height you should be afraid of,” said the man running the ride. “It’s the ground. It doesn’t hurt until you hit the ground,” he said with a laugh.
Between Jill, the carnie and the children walking around behind us laughing at me, I was convinced I had to try it out, but I didn’t have to open my eyes. As I clung to the metal bar in front of me and kept my eyes shut tight, I could hear the laughter of the carnie every time we spun past him. He found my fear so amusing, he left us dangling at the top of the ride for what felt like ten minutes. Jill said it was just to let other passengers off, but I’m pretty sure it was some cruel form of torture. When the ride finally came to a stop, I ran from the circle of death knowing that was an experience I never want to have again.
Next, I got to pick the ride. Since the last ride had been so traumatic, I decided a turn on the tilt-a-whirl, which was my favorite as a kid, would be the way to go. We stood in line behind children less than half our age and waited our turn to pick a car that looked like it had the most spin to it.
That may not have been our best decision. As the ride fired up, both Jill and seemed to be excited. With each turn of the contraption I laughed and giggled, often more than the five-year-olds in the seats around us, and tried to spin the seat more and more.
Halfway through the ride, I noticed Jill didn’t look so hot. She had one hand over her mouth and her face had taken on a green color I had only ever seen on the face of Kermit the Frog. Since I had absolutely no hard feelings about the chicken comment she made during our Ferris Wheel ordeal, I definitely did not try to make our cart spin faster and faster when I could tell my dear friend already not feeling well. When the ride finally slowed to a stop, Jill stumbled from the seat, and declined my request to go again.
Jill: So to get her revenge, Jessica decided to take me on the “tilt-a-puke” or tilt-a-whirl as some may say. She picked out the one and only cart I swear the carnie could personally control. As we spun around I could tell Jessica was having a blast. She increased the speed and motion of the cart while giggling like a child. Knowing my sweet friend would not still be holding a grudge about the whole chicken comment, I knew she must not be worried about me losing my $10 lunch on her pretty little shoes. I wasn’t bitter though, just horribly nauseous. As the ride came to close half an hour after it began, I stumbled from the cart, down the stairs and wanted to go find my mom (who I had previously hit up for cash). I guess it really was Children’s Day at the fair!!