WEEDSPORT - The animal exhibitions and 4-H exhibits have been a long-time staple of the Cayuga County Fair and a tradition that has continued to grow in recent years, as more and more children get involved with raising animals and showing them at the fair.
And the roots of the 4-H stretch back more than 50 years.
Alongside the displays and presentations in the 4-H building this year, a small section has been dedicated to celebrating that past.
Anne Clapper, of Auburn, a member of the board of the county fair, was searching for ideas that would help celebrate the fair and add a little bit of new life and interest to the fair.
“It was about two in the morning,” Clapper said. “And I had a bunch of ideas in my head and then I thought why don't we do something to celebrate the 50-year alumni of the 4-H. I thought it would just be something different to do, something interesting, to look at what we did in the past and what it is like now.”
Clapper said that she and her sister, Amy Baliva, were both involved with the Owasco Valley 4-H Riders, a group with a focus on horseback riding, as well as other 4-H activities.
Clapper said that the group would get together and ride their horses to shows as well as participate in local parades ever year.
Once Clapper hit on the idea of having a celebration of the last 50 years of 4-H, she began contacting friends, looking for memorabilia dating back to the '50s.
On display in the 4-H building are numerous photos capturing moments from the 4-H, such as children raising pigs and pheasants.
Loretta Filkins, of Port Byron knew that her mother, Mary Agnes Thomas, and her uncle, Bob Thomas, had been involved in 4-H when they were younger, but she didn't know that they were going to be part of the exhibit.
“I was just walking around and I saw my mother's picture,” Filkins said. “She is in a nursing home now, but I think she would be excited to know that her picture is here.”
Alongside the photos sit scrapbooks of newspaper clippings detailing the accomplishments of 4-H members in various local and state competitions and events like parades and horse shows.
Clapper also managed to dig up a few other items of interest.
“We have an original songbook,” Clapper said. “With all the songs that we used to sing. And there is a handbook from the '50s that tells you how to do different projects and thins like that.”
Clapper said that alumni of 4-H even sent items from across the country to be part of the exhibit.
“Roger Post sent a photo from Arkansas,” Clapper said. “It is of 4-H camp in 1958. He sent me a letter saying he had found it and thought it might be interesting at the same time I was thinking about doing this, so it worked out well.”
The exhibit also features letters and certificates of accomplishment for a variety of exhibits and accomplishments.
Joyce Smith, of Sherrill, said that she hadn't been to a county fair since they were held at Owasco Lake and since her last name was still Foote.
But when some friends asked her to come and go to the fair with them this year, she thought it might be fun.
Smith has been a lifelong member of the 4-H, participating in the Owasco Luck Sevens group and now heading up her own 4-H group, named in honor of her own roots, the Oneida Lucky Sevens.
While thumbing through some of the scrapbooks, Smith found a letter from her 4-H leader, Virginia Greenfield, which brought back a flood of pleasant memories.
“We had a lot of fun,” Smith said. “We used to be in parades and have floats and things like that ever year. It was a great experience, one every child should have, it just teaches you so much. You learn about making friends and respect and hard work and ethics, it was a wonderful experience and I'm so happy to be able to see all this,”
which is just the kind of response Clapper hoped the exhibit would garner.
“It is a possibility we'll do more next year,” Clapper said. “This is just a start and hopefully from here it will grow and we'll get more interest and keep it growing.”
Today at the fair
6:30 a.m. - Food booth opens
8 a.m. - Pancake breakfast
9 a.m. - Ag. gates open, open horse show, 4-H dairy and meat goat show
10 a.m. - Event center food booth
11 a.m. - Chicken barbecue
Noon - Exhibit building and crafts vendors open, 4-H fashion review, 4-H fashion show, midway opens, hourly drawings start, sheriff's department child I.D.
1 p.m. - Alpaca performance show
3 p.m. - Alpaca obstacle demonstration
6 p.m. - Youth buildings, exhibits released
Alongside the displays and presentations in the 4-H building this year, a small section has been dedicated to celebrating that past.
Anne Clapper, of Auburn, a member of the board of the county fair, was searching for ideas that would help celebrate the fair and add a little bit of new life and interest to the fair.
“It was about two in the morning,” Clapper said. “And I had a bunch of ideas in my head and then I thought why don't we do something to celebrate the 50-year alumni of the 4-H. I thought it would just be something different to do, something interesting, to look at what we did in the past and what it is like now.”
Clapper said that she and her sister, Amy Baliva, were both involved with the Owasco Valley 4-H Riders, a group with a focus on horseback riding, as well as other 4-H activities.
Clapper said that the group would get together and ride their horses to shows as well as participate in local parades ever year.
Once Clapper hit on the idea of having a celebration of the last 50 years of 4-H, she began contacting friends, looking for memorabilia dating back to the '50s.
On display in the 4-H building are numerous photos capturing moments from the 4-H, such as children raising pigs and pheasants.
Loretta Filkins, of Port Byron knew that her mother, Mary Agnes Thomas, and her uncle, Bob Thomas, had been involved in 4-H when they were younger, but she didn't know that they were going to be part of the exhibit.
“I was just walking around and I saw my mother's picture,” Filkins said. “She is in a nursing home now, but I think she would be excited to know that her picture is here.”
Alongside the photos sit scrapbooks of newspaper clippings detailing the accomplishments of 4-H members in various local and state competitions and events like parades and horse shows.
Clapper also managed to dig up a few other items of interest.
“We have an original songbook,” Clapper said. “With all the songs that we used to sing. And there is a handbook from the '50s that tells you how to do different projects and thins like that.”
Clapper said that alumni of 4-H even sent items from across the country to be part of the exhibit.
“Roger Post sent a photo from Arkansas,” Clapper said. “It is of 4-H camp in 1958. He sent me a letter saying he had found it and thought it might be interesting at the same time I was thinking about doing this, so it worked out well.”
The exhibit also features letters and certificates of accomplishment for a variety of exhibits and accomplishments.
Joyce Smith, of Sherrill, said that she hadn't been to a county fair since they were held at Owasco Lake and since her last name was still Foote.
But when some friends asked her to come and go to the fair with them this year, she thought it might be fun.
Smith has been a lifelong member of the 4-H, participating in the Owasco Luck Sevens group and now heading up her own 4-H group, named in honor of her own roots, the Oneida Lucky Sevens.
While thumbing through some of the scrapbooks, Smith found a letter from her 4-H leader, Virginia Greenfield, which brought back a flood of pleasant memories.
“We had a lot of fun,” Smith said. “We used to be in parades and have floats and things like that ever year. It was a great experience, one every child should have, it just teaches you so much. You learn about making friends and respect and hard work and ethics, it was a wonderful experience and I'm so happy to be able to see all this,”
which is just the kind of response Clapper hoped the exhibit would garner.
“It is a possibility we'll do more next year,” Clapper said. “This is just a start and hopefully from here it will grow and we'll get more interest and keep it growing.”
Today at the fair
6:30 a.m. - Food booth opens
8 a.m. - Pancake breakfast
9 a.m. - Ag. gates open, open horse show, 4-H dairy and meat goat show
10 a.m. - Event center food booth
11 a.m. - Chicken barbecue
Noon - Exhibit building and crafts vendors open, 4-H fashion review, 4-H fashion show, midway opens, hourly drawings start, sheriff's department child I.D.
1 p.m. - Alpaca performance show
3 p.m. - Alpaca obstacle demonstration
6 p.m. - Youth buildings, exhibits released
The Citizens' Say
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