Opening day of the County Fair

CALHAN - Gavin Zember came for the tractors.

   Only the ones at the fair weren't like the Colorado Springs toddler's favorite toys at home. These were big, loud and stinky.

   He covered his nose and ears during Saturday morning's tractor pull on opening day at the El Paso County Fair, and he was loving every minute of it.

   "I'd never seen a tractor pull," said his mother, Vanessa. "I had no idea what I was coming out here for."

   The fair celebrates rural ties for folks on the eastern plains and invites city dwellers to join in. There are cows to milk, cowboy hats to buy and kangaroos to pet.

   "It's been important to Calhan for many years," fair volunteer Pat Copeland said. "It gives them something local that they can call their own. They've talked about moving it to the Springs; then it's not a county fair, it's a city fair."

   Copeland is the superintendent of creative arts, which includes quilts, photography, baked goods, canning and trash-to-treasure. There were fewer entries to sort and judge this year.

   "Exhibitors are down about 50, to 165 to last year's 219," she said. "I think it has to do with prices of gas."

   Back this year is the homebrew division - but it's not much back. It drew only two entries.

   "It used to be a really big thing to home-brew beer," Copeland said. "In 1999, we had like 90 bottles of beer. We had to get a couple more judges. We couldn't let two judges drink 90."

   Baking wars have even turned friendly.

   "It used to be some of the older ladies who would try to have the best pie over the other one. I don't see much of that now," said Copeland, who used to be one of those ladies.

   Copeland's daughter Marla Perry carries on the fair tradition with her own daughters, Rachael, 15, and Renee, 11.

   "My kids are city kids, so I think it's good for them," Perry said.

   The sisters are singing a duet in Wednesday's "Got Talent?" show, with a grand prize of $1,000.

   The fair is a contest bonanza for all animals, not just humans and farm animals.

   There are contests for sporting dogs, stunt dogs, show dogs - even licking dogs. Kids can compete to see whose dog licks them the longest in Monday's pet contest. Other contests are ice-cream eating, watermelon-seed spitting and dress your potato.

   Twelve-year-old Sarah St. Louis plans to dress her goat for a contest. After showing goats at a Saturday morning event, Sarah and her four sisters checked out all their ribbons in baking, jewelry and art.

   The sisters from Elbert spend the week at the fair to hang out with friends and show their many projects.

   "We don't really watch TV very often," said Tabea St. Louis, 16.

   It's not just kids getting their country on.

   Newcomers Cathie and Mike Daetwyler entered the fair circuit after their three children were grown.

   Unfortunately, the Colorado Springs couple's canning attempts were disqualified because they didn't properly label the goods, but judges took the time to offer advice. Remarks on their strawberry jam noted the "Jell-O taste" and floating particles.

   "I smashed every one of those stinking berries, but they still floated," Cathie Daetwyler said. "I'm really glad I'm not making jam to win prizes. I'm making jam to spread on my bread."

   Oh, well. There's always next year. 

   CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0253 or andrea.brown@gazette.com

FAIR INFO

El Paso County Fair runs through Saturday at Calhan fairgrounds.

Cost: $7; $5 seniors 55 and older; $3 kids 3-12; free kids 2 and younger; $15-$22 carnival all-day armbands.

Discount days: Youth Day, Tuesday, $1 off kids 11 and younger; Dollar Day, Wednesday, general admission $1; Senior Day, Friday, $3 general admission; American Heroes Day, Saturday, all military, police and firefighters, $1 off each member of their party. Info: elpasocountyfair.com

OTHER FAIRS
   The Teller County Fair is July 30 - Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds in Cripple Creek.

   The Elbert County Fair is Saturday - Aug. 3 at the Kiowa fairgrounds.