By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@verizon.net

By the time you read this, you may still be resting up from knocking yourself out having fun at the July 23-27 Caroline County Agricultural Fair. There was plenty of wandering around and gawking to do, and under the hot July sun you may have gotten dazed, dizzy and well-primed to stumble home for a much-deserved nap. But no matter the tramping around in the heat, it sure was fun.

The countless volunteers who put on the Fair, visible like exotic birds in their orange tee-shirts, must still be snoozing at home with their feet propped up. If you yourself were an early bird, the fun began Wednesday the 23rd with the Midway Preview when you trooped in carting your cherished home goods for the next day's judging. After unloading, it was time for the carnival rides. If you'd had a full meal before you gyrated on the brilliantly-lit whirling contraptions, you may've found it did wondrous things for your delicate digestion.

The next day, Thursday, was Rappahannock Electric Coop night and no doubt the coop folks were thrilled to be selling so much electricity. By this time, ribbons were on the home goods and baked goods, and green-thumbed gardeners and wise old farmers were toting in entrees for the Biggest Watermelon and Biggest Tomato Contests, thrilling County Extension Agent Mac Saphir.

By evening the kids were gobbling watermelon with Wick Coleman calling out encouragement. They couldn't have spit seeds any faster. Meanwhile you could talk to the animals – steers, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ponies, piglets – all were talkative.

The entertainment that night was twanged out by the vintage musicians of the SkyStone Bluegrass Band. In big white cowboy hats and sky blue shirts they plucked out songs like "Take Me Back to Tennessee," "Spinning Wheel in the Parlor," and "Mister Peabody's Coal Train."

During the band's breaks were riots of fun with the Hog Calling and Rooster Crowing. The reason there were no grown pigs over at Caroline's Barn was to prevent a stampede, Wick Coleman said.

Then came Friday (BB&T Night) with the Kamp Kreatures Puppet Show in Caroline's Barn – a lot of fun and a big thrill no matter how ancient you may be. Corn shuckers too were whipping through the husks and slippery silks, working feverishly like you've never seen kids work before.

The Embers then blasted on stage, playing songs like "Summertime Callin' Me," "Far Away Places," and cranking out "Mustang Sally." A big crowd was up and dancing. The Caroline Fair is a favorite event for The Embers, a musical force since 1958, because Caroline folks love to dance.

On Saturday (Union Bank & Trust) you wanted to be at the Fair at 10:00 a.m. sharp for the Caroline Humane Society Dog Show. Over 30 dogs, from Chihuahuas to greyhounds, took to the stage pulling their proud masters.

The high point of the two-hour show came with the "Doggy Dress-up Competition." A bull mastiff named "Faith" in a gorgeous black sequined prom dress won the blue ribbon. Total Humane Society profits from the show were $981.54.

At 11:00 a.m. Cleo Coleman, garbed in 19th century black, presented her first portrayal of "Harriet Tubman" – famous slave-rescuer and Civil War scout. (See related story.) A Civil War encampment and a cheery Confederate soldier also took you back to the old, old days.

By this time blue ribbons were on a tomato the size of a softball and a watermelon that needed two men to lift. (Next week The Caroline Progress lists all the winners.) You could then wander over to the corral and watch as the State Police showed how their trusty, heroic German Shepherd snatches evil-doers with her big shiny teeth. Big G & Total Control later hit the stage in mid-afternoon playing Southern Blues expertly with tunes like "The Clean-up Woman" and "Sex Machine." A leaping "James Brown" look-alike electrified the stage.

Antique tractors then rumbled and youngsters competed in their pedal tractors pulling enormous loads. There was more corn to speedily shuck, watermelon to gobble and pies to go face-down in and swallow. What stamina!

If you were still on your feet by 7:30 p.m., the Country-Rock band Cactus Jack was ready to open up on stage. A big crowd danced the night away to tunes like "Johnny Be Good," "Call Me the Breeze," and "Can't You See?"

By Sunday (Virginia Bazaar Day) it was time to calm down, straighten up and get spiritual. The Gospel band One Lane Bridge was scheduled to perform but had to be out of town, so the Mattaponi Messengers filled in admirably singing songs like "Angel Band," "When They Call the Roll Up Yonder," and "We Shall Meet."

Following them came the Gospel singing group called 4 the Lord, performing up-tempo Christian songs like "The Lighthouse."

After another round of pedal tractor pulls and a garden tractor pull, it was time to get to the big white tent and pick up your be-ribboned home goods. The Caroline County Agricultural Fair volunteers had put on a stupendous event. Now it was time to get prone and get a good rest.