- Home
- Local News
- Sports
- Business
- Entertainment
- Life
- Opinion
- Photos & Video
- Help
- Jobs
- Cars
- Homes
- Classifieds & Deals
- Local Directory
Entertainment feed
Things to do e-mail
Mobile
Facebook
Home
>
Entertainment
>
Music
Barbara J. Perenic
Young competitors line up their livestock for a show at the Clark County Fair on Thursday, July 29. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic
County fairs the perfect place to see up-and-coming country musicians
Hot Topics
By Nancy Wilson,
K99.1 FM
1:27 PM Saturday, July 31, 2010
You know that Tim McGraw song “Something Like That?”
In a nutshell, it’s about an enamored young man who spends lots of money at a county fair to impress his lady love.
Well, nobody won me a teddy bear this past week, but I certainly spent a lot of time at the Clark County Fair. I love me some fairs.
Today, the Greene County Fair kicks off, the Ohio State Fair continues, and the Montgomery County Fair is coming soon.
If you think about it, a county fair has everything you need: livestock, rides, entertainment and food. I’ve discovered that any food “on a stick” is to be taken seriously. I do draw the line at fried butter on a stick, but I am rather fond of fried cheese.
The Clark County Fair has always been near to my heart and hometown (South Charleston). I was involved in 4-H, serving up Snickerdoodle cookies in the “Glass Kitchen,” which has since been turned into the Sheriff’s Headquarters.
The Clark County Fair seems to be the golden ticket for up-and-coming country acts on their way to superstardom. Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts have all graced the Entertainment Tent stage.
This past week, I got to rub elbows, (but not too close, it was really hot), with country-sensation-in-the-making David Nail, who was also very hot, but in an entirely different way.
This summer, other local fairs are offering Lady Antebellum (Darke County, Aug. 22, sold out, www.
darkecountyfair.com), Neal McCoy (Miami County, Aug. 15, www.
miamicountyohiofair.com) and Aaron Tippin (Champaign County, Aug. 9, www.champaigncountyfair.com) just to name a few.
In addition to country royalty, local fairs offer up one of my favorite events: the queen contest. It’s amazing how these young women, who just hours before were shearing sheep, feeding steers and wrestling swine, emerge in gorgeous ball gowns with elegant hair (and sometimes cowboy boots on underneath).
Far from a beauty pageant, these girls are going for scholarship money and the honor of representing their fair. Underneath the glitz and glamour beat hearts of pride for their families, their communities and the occasional pork chop.
As I called Amanda Haddix’ name last week as the new Clark County fair queen, I was the one who felt pride. Not just as the emcee (never the Queen-sigh), but in watching a fellow Clark County girl fulfill one of her dreams at the fair — tiara and cowboy boots intact.
Contact Nancy Wilson, a morning-radio personality at WHKO-FM (K99.1), by e-mail through the website at k99online.com.
Gone Country
NANCY WILSON
Share this article
Get e-mail tips on things to do
ActiveDayton.com's free twice-a-week e-mail newsletter highlights five things you can do in the Miami Valley.
See Sample | Privacy Policy
Our Valentine Guide has everything you'll need for a fun-filled holiday.
- Find romantic dining options
- Get help with your love letters
- Find ways to celebrate
Can you find 5 changes?
We give you an image to look at paired with an altered version of the same photo. Can you spot the five differences between the images? > Play the game
Latest Entertainment blogs
- Cee Lo Green's on His Fashion Influences and Fellow 'Voice' Coaches
- A Citilites tasting at the Schu, and a Big Red tasting at Arrow highlight weekly wine-tastings list
- Dayton loves love and Barry White, city makes 'Top 20 Most Romantic Cities' list
- Raitt, Staples coming to Fraze
- Ribbon-cutting today for new billiards & whiskies bar
- > Earlier entertainment blog posts
Submit your things to do
Can't find your event?
Got a really cool event that you want to promote on our site? No problem. It's easy to create and share events with our FREE online events listings. > Add your event
About our ads
About our adsCopyright © 2012 Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.
By using this site, you accept the terms of our Visitors Agreement and Privacy Policy. About our ads. You may wish to note our other business policies.
User comments are not being accepted on this article.