By Rob Potter
GRAHAMSVILLE — August 21, 2001 – Thousands of people journeyed to Grahamsville this past weekend to enjoy the 122nd annual Little World’s Fair.
The fair, sponsored by the Neversink Agricultural Society, featured a variety of farm animals, food vendors, craft vendors, rides and carnival games.
And on Saturday afternoon, the fair welcomed a very special guest. New York State Governor George Pataki spent nearly an hour at the fair, touring the grounds and making a short speech.
“He met with the staff and walked all around,” said Cathy Bender, the General Superintendent for the 2001 Little World’s Fair. “He took time to talk with people and sign some autographs.”
Bender noted that Pataki’s visit was believed to be the first time a sitting governor had made an appearance at the Little World’s Fair.
The state’s top elected official was among the thousands of people who took in the annual event.
Bender noted that rain on Friday hampered the daytime attendance slightly, but those figures quickly rebounded.
“The crowd picked up Friday night,” Bender said Sunday afternoon as she watched people stroll along the grounds. “And yesterday we had a really good turnout. Everything has been running relatively smoothly. The vendors are pleased – both the food vendors and craft vendors say they have been doing well.”
As during the previous two days, Sunday featured a variety of activities and events at the fair. Acts such as lariat artists Barbara and Joslyn Autry (billed as the “World’s Greatest Lariat Artists”) and T-Bone (known as “America’s Musical Pied Piper”) graced the stage, while the chainsaw, cross-cut and tree-felling competition took place in the main ring.
Several county 4-H members proudly displayed their animals in the open beef and dairy shows at the upper ring.
Of course, the midway was packed with children and adults alike trying to pop a balloon with an accurate toss of the dart or guess the speed of their fastball to win a stuffed animal or poster. And scores of people stood in line for rides that spun them around in giant teacups or took them high into the air and twirled them as if they were inside a pet ferret’s exercise wheel.
And food vendors offered a variety of tasty treats. French fries, sausage sandwiches, hamburgers, funnel cakes and sno-cones were a few of the delicious items available to satisfy the fairgoers’ collective hunger.
Among those sampling the treats and playing the midway games were Lisa Ellers, who is a summertime resident of Smallwood, and her sons, eight-year-old Shane and six-year-old Brett.
“We’ve been coming to the fair for the past few years,” Lisa Ellers said as she watched Shane and Brett compete in the Radar Speedball game. “We’re having a great time. The food is good, and the rides are great. We’re all having a good time at the fair.”