Good ol’ country comforts at fire department’s fair

KENT — This year’s firemen’s fair was a special one. Held from Aug. 11 to 13 at the fairground, in addition to being a celebration of summer fun and old-fashioned country delights (including a frog-jumping contest), it was also a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Kent Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD).  

The fair attracted residents from all over the region, including towns as distant as Colebrook, Cornwall, Ridgefield, Salisbury, Warren and Washington. In an unscientific survey, most said they attend every year.

The annual frog jumping contest tested the skills of youngsters from about age 3 and up, and their favorite frogs. The frog  that could jump the farthest belonged to Quinn Ryder. However, Quinn was one of the first entrants, and by the time the contest ended and the winner was announced, he had apparently hopped off to try out one of the amusement rides.

A large tag sale tent was a big draw for bargain shoppers, who could be seen leaving with shopping bags stuffed with new/old treasures.

Warren resident and University of Connecticut timber team coach Shannon Strong (along with her husband, Harvey Gereg, and former UConn team member and alumnus Mike Paladino of Madison, Conn.) gave demonstrations of woodsawing and ax throwing.

Their demonstration is called Lumber Jack and Jill. Standing about 15 feet from a target, Gereg swung an axe through the air which, time and again, hit the bulls-eye. Strong and her team also prepared a lumberjack obstacle course for youngsters.

Members of the fire company are known for their love of food and cooking. Their culinary efforts this year did not let the community down.

Aside from the usual offerings of hamburgers, hot dogs and all that goes with them, the chefs also served barbecued chicken and roasted and smoked beef (prepared by longtime fire company volunteer Bill Tobin and his crew). The scents from the food prep area drew people from all over the fairground.

Color photos from the fair can be found online at www.tricornernews.com and at The Lakeville Journal’s Facebook page.

 

Click here for another fair picture.

Latest News

Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less