Erin Remembers The Ohio County Fair [VIDEO]

The month is almost over, yet, I remember my Septembers at the Ohio Co. Fair very well. It used to be held the first week of September, then a couple of years ago, it was moved up to July/August. Okay, summer is way too hot for a county fair! I know, the state fair is in August, but come on. And, the fair was cut down from a week to now 3 days. Times have changed, but I have some great memories of the OC Fair.

Fun fact, I grew up about a mile from the fairgrounds in Hartford. I recall many nights when I could hear the mud bogs and tractor pulls at my house. I have a few specific stories to share from when I went to the fair.

My earliest memory, the rides! Our fair had some pretty scary ones. My Dad always tried to get me to go on the Bullet, seen here:

Um, I didn't want to ride it then, I'm sure as heck not going to ride it now. Other rides included the typical Scrambler, swings, and a ride called the Scat. Now it was fun!

However, don't ride it if you've had a stomach virus the day before. Oh boy. Here's the thing, I wanted to go the fair so bad, I was willing to sacrifice my already sensitive tummy. Needless to say, I was extremely nauseous after that trip. The other thrill from my younger days, all the cool prizes I would win. I won this elongated Coke bottle with sand in it; I kept it in the corner of my room for years. I won a tiny mirror with Julian Lennon on it. No, not Boy George or Twisted Sister or even Motley Crue, Julian Lennon. Wasn't he a one hit wonder?

My best memory? The time my Mom won $1,000! True story. They used to give away cash every year at the fair. You bought a ticket, tore it in half, and the other half went into this giant Bingo churner. I was on my favorite ride at the fair, the Vertigo. It's this mini-roller coaster that goes around in a circle, slow at first, then the speed kept building up and when the siren went off, it went really fast. And if you were on the outside of your car, you would get squished when the ride would hit top speed, good times. I have no idea what time it was, but I was on the ride, I don't remember with who, but I saw my Mom and a friend walking up to wave at me. We had won the big money! Luckily, the ride was at mid-speed when she yelled like a maniac at me. What did we spend it on? New cabinets for the kitchen; yep, we dream big. Finally, they also used to give away a car too. Well, we didn't win the car, but the folks that did sold it back to the dealership and who ended up buying it? My Dad. Unfortunately, my parents have never had the patience to teach me a stick, so I never got to drive it.

If you are looking to make your own memories, the Ohio Co. Fair continues Friday night and all day Saturday. Admission is $10 and...rides are FREE! I recommend riding on an empty stomach.