Every year, Cascade students look forward to going to the Chelan County Fair during the first few weeks of school. The fair is hosted at the Chelan County Fairgrounds near the Mt. Cashmere Golf Course. The fair has been a key part of Central Washington’s history since 1920. People from Chelan, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee, and Eastmont enjoy the various attractions that the fair provides, from food, rides, exhibits, and music. This year, the fair came to town from September seventh through the tenth.
One of the go-to fair food items are the curly fries from Ramblin’ Gourmet, cotton candy, and fair-style lemonade. The fries are popular amongst many attendees, but they are more on the expensive side; at the Ramblin’ Gourmet vendor, fair goers can purchase one for seventeen dollars. For that price, a hungry person gets a block-shaped bunch of fries. They hold a strange rectangular shape and are soft on one side and crispy on the other. For the best possible taste, grab a packet of salt and two little cups of ketchup. “The food there was really good. We had caramel apples, curly fries, and tacos,” said Karla Cacho (11).
"The food there was really good. We had caramel apples, curly fries, and tacos," said Karla Cacho (11).
The cotton candy, on the other hand, is five dollars at the vendor closest to the rides. It is always a favorite treat during the fair, but this year, it was not as sugary, and parts of the bag had a crunchy texture which was concerning.
The lemonade, near the livestock exhibits, was freshly made right in front of its customers. The customer service was excellent and the price for thirty-two ounces of homemade lemonade was only eight dollars. Reusing the cup on a second trip to the fair score a discount on subsequent lemonade purchases. The lemonade stand sits next to the chocolate-covered strawberry vendor and offers a range of flavors. Flavored versions of lemonade were available and made the lemonade much sweeter. The original flavor was refreshing.
One of the more feared rides at the fair is the Drop Zone because of the massive amount of adrenaline that flows through rider’s bodies when they drop to the ground. However, Juan Alvarado (12) is fully passionate about this ride. “I love the feeling of falling,” said Juan. He goes on to say how his favorite part of the fair was “seeing Abey (Abraham) [Gonzalez] (11) almost puke on one of the rides and being scared and Kamil [Sarabia] (12) being scared to go on some rides too.”
Another ride that provides a falling feeling is the Rockstar. Emily Sanchez (12) loved that ride because she was tall enough to ride and “also because you could see the entire fair from the height.” The Rockstar is one of the most exciting and popular rides amongst Cascade students. It is like a more amped up version of the Ferris Wheel because there is an amazing view of the fair and the opportunity to be whirled around up in the air.
Besides the rides and food, the next most popular attraction at the Chelan County Fair would be the animal barns. The different species of animals range from rabbits to turkeys, to cows. Senior, Karlyn Kocher, has been attending the fair for thirteen years to display her goats and lamb. The goats’ names are Triza and Betty, and her lamb is named Noodles. This year, Karlyn brought her animals, but did not do any presentations with them. “My favorite part of [the] fair [was] showing my animals,” said Kocher.
Every year, one of the fair’s exhibits is dedicated to a variety of fruits and vegetables. They are submitted into different contests based on size, appearance, weight, or coloring. It is interesting to look around at all of the produce in the room to see all the hard work the farmers have put into their products and also to see unique food products.
Another exhibit room is entirely filled with quilts and yarn creations. People who go to the fair have the opportunity to vote on which of the quilts they believe is the best. Ms. Robison is an avid quilt creator in her spare time and enjoys going to the fair to see other creations.
The craft room is more focused on younger artists. Paintings of different animals and plants line the walls. Sculptures and sewed pieces can also been seen throughout the room.
Overall, the fair is one of the most exciting events of the year that Cascade High School students look forward to during the first few months of school. The chaos of the first few weeks of school can be really hard on students, but the fair is the perfect opportunity to be a kid again and only worry about what ride to go on next.
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