×

Grange Fair, a summer favorite

JV Family photo by MEREDITH PEACHEY Because Meredith Peachey has been attending the Centre County Grange Fair every year since she was eight-months old, her husband Bryan joined in the tradition when they got engaged in 2010. Pictured here are the Peacheys at the 2018 Grange Fair, outside of the family tent.

Since 1980, just over eight months after being born Meredith Michelle Miller, I have participated in an annual, family tradition and have literally never missed one occurrence: the Centre County Grange Fair.

Not even in college, when freshmen orientation, then move-in weekends my sophomore, junior and senior years, fell the weekend of the fair. My freshman year, I skipped out on the Saturday schedule and caught a ride with my aunt and uncle, who lived close to my university and were heading to the fair for the day. Every year after that, I’d go to school on Thursday, move in to my dorm or apartment, come back home on Friday, stay Friday and Saturday at the family tent, then head back to school on Sunday, in time for Monday classes.

I didn’t even miss when I taught in Korea! Though my contract was from November 2002 to 2003, it was cut short in July 2003, making it possible for me to be a bridesmaid in my BFFs wedding AND keep the annual streak going.

Growing up, I’d stay with my Nana at the tent, sleeping in a sleeping bag on a cot or floor mat. I’d wake up each morning, head to the Boarding House or Donut Place for breakfast, then spend the rest of the day playing at the playground, winning 10 cent prizes for $2 at Ring Toss, playing hours of Skee Ball and getting dizzy on the Tilt-A-Whirl, Octopus and Merry Mixer. In between all the fun was the eating, eating and eating that always happens; Sunset Ice Cream, Marcey’s Orangeade, Gunzy’s Hot Sausage and Snyder’s Fries and Funnel Cakes, to name a few favorites.

When I was 8 years old, my mother and father took over as supervisors of the playground, which enabled us to have our own tent, coincidentally just behind my Nana’s! When I was old enough, I worked as a “Helper,” pushing kids on the swings or monitoring the seesaws and slides, ultimately working as a supervisor of other helpers the last year my parents were involved (When they quit the playground, we lost our tent). From age 15 to 18, I also worked for the Boarding House and volunteered as a face painter for the Child Evangelical trailer.

After my Nana passed away, the Miller family tent was passed on to my aunt, who graciously continues to pay the rent each year. Because of this generosity, those of us who are local agree to store the “fair stuff” as well as set-up and tear down each year. For many years, we had to move in on what is deemed “move-in day” for tenters, the first Wednesday (now Thursday) of fair week. Early that morning, after breakfast, my father and myself would head to his storage unit, take out the fair stuff and organize it between our two vehicles, both packed so full in the end that we could only use our side mirrors to monitor rear traffic. Though the drive from his storage unit to the fairgrounds would normally only take 30 minutes at best, the trek up the mountain was much longer, due to other fair goers heading to move in as well. Once we paid for our weekly admission tickets and parking passes, we’d maneuver around the others moving in and count 10 tents south from the gate, finally landing at Cherry Tree Row #4. (The tent is #4 from the tail of the south end.)

After 14 years of helping dad cram the kitchen and living areas into the army-style tent provided by the fair, with merely one metal table full of dish-washing supplies under a small, green tarp in the back, we finally purchased an enclosed tarp kitchen in 2010. That step enabled us to take all of the stuff over on the Sunday before move-in day, which we have done ever since. After I got married and we bought our house, my husband and I opted to store the stuff at our home and the two of us help my dad on move-in Sunday, who has since got himself an SUV with a rear hitch, which we attach to a U-Haul trailer. My brother, his wife and two kids have made the Fair their end-of-the-summer vacation in recent years, so they generally come in on move-in Thursday and finish setting up.

Regularly, we have an umbrella table out front, two folding, rectangle tables inside, the metal folding table for dish-washing and small beverage refrigerator out back, a camping range, a toaster, a 10-cup coffee pot with carafe, cooking and eating utensils, extension cords, over-head lamps, fans, a mirror and lots and lots of chairs, plus miscellaneous items that never seem to get thrown out, like an old electric percolater that we never use. Contributions over the years have included a macadam in the back, indoor-outdoor rugs to cover the inside macadam, a dorm refrigerator, a microwave, a camping kitchen and a single-cup coffee maker. A recent flood in our basement ruined the futon and chest of drawers that were also contributed, which will be replaced with inflatable insta-beds and utility shelving. Despite writing down supplies that we need for each year, we always seem to forget something –pots and pans, microwaveable bowls, paper towels and duct tape seem to be the norm. And moving in with as little as we do –compared to some of our neighbors who bring couches, bunk beds and televisions –we always end up with more to take home.

But this fair, even with the work of setting up and tearing down, even the years that it seems to rain more days than not, is the best and my favorite tradition … better than Christmas or going to the beach. And even though I’m married to a Peachey, who had no ties to the fair before he married me, and even though we live in Tyrone and I work in Lewistown, I have not yet missed a fair …

… nor will I ever!

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today