Fair 51 kicks off

Dan and Jessie McCube met in Bloomington more than a decade ago, they fell in love with each other and they agreed to marry. Twelve years later to the day of their wedding ceremony, the McCube's celebrated their anniversary in part by visiting the 51st Monroe County Fair Saturday with their two children, 6-year-old Sarah and 4-year-old Michael.\n"We came here when we got engaged 12 years ago and today is our anniversary," said Jessie McCube, an IU alumna. "A true sign he was whipped was following me through the fairground, with him being a city boy."\nDan McCube, who hails from Southlake, Texas -- a community somewhere between Dallas and Ft. Worth, said he, his wife and kids do not get to visit with farm animals that much throughout the year, and the county fair gives their family something to do for both kids and adults.\n"Other than this, I've been to the state fair in Texas but that is about all," he said.\nJessie McCube said her family now visits the Monroe County fair every summer while visiting family in Stanford, Ind., although she wishes the family could have planned its trip later in the week so the kids could have enjoyed the carnival rides that were not set-up as of Saturday.\n"It's neat to see the animals and people getting them ready for the show. We like the sheep wearing the tie-dyed T-shirts," she said. "We always try to go to the fair when we're in town. It's real exciting at night with all the lights."\n2006 Monroe County Fair attendees can expect a $7 per person fee Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for "family-fun days" that include admission, limited-seating auditorium shows, grandstand festivities and carnival rides starting Wednesday at 1 p.m. Fair goers can expect a $2 fee per vehicle Tuesday, Friday and Saturday for entrance at the gates -- auditorium entertainment like a talent show, grandstand festivities like the Figure-8 Demolition Derby and the carnival rides cost an additional charge dependent upon the event. \nOnce inside the Monroe County fairgrounds, community members and visitors can pursue two commercial buildings packed with local businesses offering information and services, several food vendors offering entrees from tenderloin sandwiches to elephant ears, an antique tractor show with live music at night, a children's activity big-top tent and several barns housing farm animals from heifers to hogs to bunnies to sheep.\n"This is the one time a year to visit with friends you only get to see once a year, and to visit with all kinds of animals -- there is a little bit for everybody," said David Smith, secretary of the 2006 Monroe County Fair board. "The fair is a lot of good fun; it's not just a farm thing."\nAlthough fair goers have already missed the rabbit show, 2006 Monroe County Fair Queen Contest, Baby Contest and children's calve wrestling, fair visitors can still catch the horse and pony show, rooster crowing contest, antique tractor pull and 4-H rocket shoot off. Interested persons can access a fair program at www.idsnews.com for more information and program time schedule.\nMiss Monroe County 2005 and borderline Greene County resident Laura Patterson, who is attending IU in the fall to study special education for all-learners, said she was feeling both sad and excited about handing over her crown Saturday evening to the new Miss Monroe County. She said she was sad because 2006 wraps up her 10th year of raising and showing animals in 4-H, but she was excited for the new fair queen because part of her duties will consist of interacting with thousands of kids throughout the week while she passes out ribbons during animal shows.\n"This is my 10th year raising sheep, but I raised cattle for nine years and pigs for eight years," Patterson said while feeding her lambs Whitey and Blacky Saturday afternoon. "This is normal for me because I've always been around animals and I've been coming to the Monroe County fair for years."\nUnlike the other 4-H members caring for their animals nearby dressed in clothes made for farm work so there were no worries of dirt and animal poop, Patterson was wearing her Miss Monroe County rhinestone crown and 2005 winning sash above a pink-collared Polo shirt tucked into her khaki shorts. She said her work on her family farm enabled her to catch a loose calf with her bare hands while she was passing out ribbons last year.\n"On the one hand I'm a farm girl, yet I can still manage to be fair queen and I'll be a freshman at IU this fall. It takes brains, common sense and beauty to be a well-rounded fair queen," Patterson said while wiping lamb snot from her palms. "This part of my life is coming to a close but many doors are opening for me in the future. I've had a great time living on the farm but I'm ready to experience some new things like teaching elementary education -- I hope to help little kids"