When I stepped outside this morning with the dog to get the paper, there was a little nip to the air. The dew was heavy. The leaves were rustling. All signs pointed to one undeniable truth: The Dixie Classic Fair is back in town. So today, at least for this post, we’ll forget about journalism per se and I will give you five reasons why I love the fair.
1) The agricultural competitions. Where else do people square off over who has a better sweet potato? One of my most cherished possessions is the ribbon I won in 1994 for a decorated gourd. Not quite the Pulitzer Prize, but it’s up there.
2) The crowds. We all live in a fragmented society. You can spend your whole life in Forsyth County and never get to Walkertown or New Sherwood Forest or anywhere in between. The fair is one of those great seas of humanity, where you get to see how different and alike we all are.
3) The crafts hall. I am always amazed at the talent there. From the kiddie LEGO displays to the incredible carvings and cheesy photographs of waterfalls and sunsets, it is all great.
4) The Midway. The water pistol races, the knock the bottles down tosses, the ball in the bucket game. They’re a testament to American hucksterism and the idea that everybody else is a sucker except us. And where else can you pay $2 and win something that costs $1.
5) The food. You need to pace yourself so you can eat twice. First, a hotdog and some pinto beans at one of the church or community stands, then out into the larger world of sausage, funnel cakes, kettle corn, deep-fried twinkies and cotton candy. Don’t forget the bag of peanuts for the ride home!
Got a fair story? Let me know. Happy Friday.
Your host is Ken Otterbourg, the managing editor at the Winston-Salem Journal. It's a forum to discuss the media, from
I really enjoyed the comments on the Dixie Classic Fair. I left Winston-Salem in 1969 following my ex to Lakeland Florida. Some of my fondest memories of Winston-Salem are from the Dixie Classic. While going to school at Ardmore elementry, it seemed it took forever until fair time. I still think around early October, it must be time for the fair. I still remember being amazed by the Hell Drivers,in the grandstand, and hanging around the WTOB booth which was just outside the Colisuem. The disc jockeys manning the booth gave you a tag with a number on it, you were supposed to roam the midway looking for a person to match your number, and return with the person matching to claim your transistor radio. I saved all year from my Journal and Sentinel paper route to blow it at the fair. We have the Florida Sate Fair in Tampa in Feburary. And the Strawberry Festival in March. But, they are no match for the memories of the Dixie Classic. Do you remember Crystal Lake swimmming pool? I had many good times there too.
I’m too young for Crystal Lake, but you can find the posters in antique stores from time to time. Thanks for giving us a nice stroll down memory lane.
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