Wednesday afternoon, last week, Mark Bernard strolled into the office and graced me with his presence. I thoroughly enjoy a good conversation with Mark, but this day I felt a little short as it was a busy day. None-the-less, Mark and I were destined to see each other again that night as I was headed to the Freeborn County Fair to get a picture of Jo being named “friend of the fair.”
I got to the fair early and talked my way in for free. (Thank you, nice drive up guy taking money, for believing my good purpose.)
So after sneaking into the fair, my next step was to get to the front row of the grand stand. You know, the area where the giant local acts playing for the Freeborn County Fair play.
I strolled in confidently and explained to the first person I saw taking tickets to go down to the front, what a big deal I was. “I’m here to take pictures of this award that Mark Bernard’s wife, Mrs. Cheviot, is supposed to get…”
He said go ahead.
And then… After one step, he said wait a minute. Can I see your credentials.
Do I look like I have credentials?
No. Nope. I tell my reporters they should act the part. Believing you’re supposed to be there is more important. It is work after all.
I informed the fellow that I had a business card, but no real credentials. So he walks me over to the head ticket taker.
I smile wide and tell her I own the paper in New Richland, and that Mrs. Cheviot is getting this award. An award whose name I didn’t know…
Well, I must have done something right again because she says go ahead, just don’t stay for the concert in the front row which people bought tickets for.
So I get down to the front row and I don’t see the Bernards anywhere. I called Mark and he didn’t really know what was going on either, besides the fact that this was going to be a surprise award for Jo and that they had come up with a “problem” which required her attention to fix at the grandstand.
Yup, she had no idea the award was coming.
And Mark had no idea what to tell me when people who paid for the seats in the front row started filing in wanting their spot.
Luckily, kind of, I chatted up the first person who sat down, Cherry Nelson, who has been attending the fair each year since the 1970s. Her grandson, whose name I forget, graduated from NRHEG sometime in the past decade. She told me about how the grandstand seating had changed, who she first saw in concert at the fair (a band I had never heard of). And when more of her family arrived, and they had about five seats, she told them I was okay to stay.
Well, by about 8:15 nearly every seat in the front row was full and there was no sign of Jo. So, I counted my losses, called Mark and proceeded to sit by him a little further away.
It turns out Jo was set to get her award in the last moments before the band started playing. I took pictures standing next to Mark with my long lens camera, but was a little bummed I hadn’t stayed where I was, even if it had meant sitting on the ground.
An exciting week in the life of a reporter/writer/me.
I called Jo on Monday to talk about the award, and spent the rest of my night walking around the fair before retiring home for that Wednesday evening.
In the spirit of fair talk, I should mention the Freeborn County fair had a booth set up to honor the history of the fair. In it, I was brought back to my first memories attending the fair when I happened to glance at a list of previous concert performers. I was only three years old when Billy Ray Cyrus played, but, boy, do I remember it.
“Akey Breaky Heart,” followed by an announcement that all of the songs played that night would be on the radio going home on such and such a station. I remember at three years old telling my dad we had to listen to that radio station going home.
I wouldn’t have guessed I was that young, but there, the poster proved it.
The following year was Phill Vassar, a country artist whom I still enjoy to this day.
“Wave on Wave” was my favorite song from that concert, and inspired me to bug my dad so much that he made a CD for me with that song, and many others.
Thanks, Dad. And thanks to the Freeborn County Fair crew for doing such a wonderful job.