Community fair excites, despite unfair weather

As the expectant crowd gathered, Ryder, a cow with the perfect pedigree, had been painstakingly prepped to – excuse the indelicacy – poop.

High-energy hula-hoopers try to encourage Ryder (top left) to make his prized Bingo deposit.

But the star of Cow Pie Bingo at the Unionville Community Fair and Farm Show was not moooved to cooperate on Sunday, Oct. 2, at least not on demand. So the crowd waited, and then waited some more as Ryder, whose mother, Raven, once had the same duty, roamed around the pasture, oblivious to the onlookers.

Then Becky Baily of Baily’s Dairy in Pocopson Township had an idea. She invited all the children into the pasture with their hula-hoops, suggesting that lots of motion might help produce the desired result. It didn’t, but it skillfully accomplished a secondary goal: keeping the kids from getting antsy.

Priscilla keeps a watchful eye on her 2-week-old son at the Unionville Community Fair.

Finally, after about 45 minutes – and a circuitous route through four stomachs – Ryder made the much-anticipated deposit to enthusiastic applause, as the three-day event drew to a close.

The Unionville Community Fair and Farm Show, the largest display of community agricultural and home products, handcrafts and arts in Chester County, celebrated its 92^nd year, an accomplishment that many feared might not happen. A year ago, faced with a leadership void, the fair’s board put out a plea for a new president.

Deb Deckman, the Unionville Fair's board president, poses with Fair Princess Madison Cialini.

At the 11^th hour, Deb Deckman, who lives in West Grove but has deep family roots in Unionville and the fair, stepped up to take the board president’s spot. Since then, the beloved, iconic fair has focused on moving forward and widening its audience.

As a member of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs, the annual event features a host of activities from livestock shows and demonstrations to entertainment and exhibits. Most exhibitors are local residents competing for ribbons and awards under PSACF guidelines, an opportunity that rewards visitors with views of perfectly shaped portabellas, picture-perfect peppers, creative crafts and more.

Fair Queen watches the awards ceremony. — Fair Queen Eva Sheppard watches the awards ceremony.

For the second year in a row, Mother Nature defiantly refused to cooperate. Most of Friday’s activities had to be canceled altogether, and the sun didn’t make an appearance until closing time on Sunday.

“It could have been much worse,” said Deckman, expressing thanks for the fact that people came out on Saturday and Sunday. “We’ll take what we can get.”

Deckman said attendance was definitely down; however, it was sufficient to help guide next year’s planning. For example, she said the Give and Take Jugglers and the Little Circus were clearly hits, as was the Smokin’ Llama’s Punkin’ Chunkin’ crew, the cow-milking contest, and the new tiny home exhibit.

Erica Burns (from left) of East Marlborough Township admires the newly hatched chicks with her son Cooper, 5, and daughter, Ava, 11.

“I hope we can expand the tiny home exhibit; people really seemed to enjoy it,” said Deckman. “It would be great to have a village.”

The Burns family of East Marlborough Township – parents Erica and Mike Sr. and children Cooper, 5, Ava, 11, and Michael, 14 – particularly enjoyed viewing the displays of live farm animals, which included cow Priscilla and her two-week-old calf from Baily’s Dairy, a passel of newborn chickens, and Cooper’s favorite: llamas.

For Nara Selander, a second-grader from Chadds Ford, the fair opened up a new world of competitive opportunities. She proudly displayed a third-place ribbon on the oil and pastel painting she entered, her first-ever contest entry, and she was busy getting ideas for more categories next year.

“I think we’ll be back with at least six [entries],” said her father, Brian Selander.

A beaming Susan Snyder (left) accepts her Cow Pie Bingo prize from Deb Deckman, the fair board's president.

During the awards ceremony, Susan Snyder of East Marlborough Township had to interrupt her duties at the volunteer table. “Wow! This is great,” Snyder said as she accepted a $1,000 check.

Snyder owed her win to Ryder’s pie placement – proof that investing $5 in a pile of manure could prove profitable.

For those interested in continuing the festivities while supporting the fair, the sixth annual Willowdale Pro Rodeo will be held rain or shine on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Brandywine Polo Field at 232 Polo Road in Toughkenamon.

Gates will open for this fair fundraiser at 11 a.m., and M & M BBQ and Foxy Loxy will be on hand to provide food and ice cream. Tickets – $17 for 13 and over, $12 for ages 4 to 12, and free for children 3 and under – are available through the fair website at www.ucfair.org via PayPal, until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, or at the gate.