SOME FRIENDLY CAMPERS ... That’s how to describe a bevy of fair-goers I met at, guess where, Ben Ellen Donuts stand.

They offered me a doughnut, and I nibbled on it as we carried on a chat prompted when I discovered that the one with the bag of doughnuts lived in Mason County.

My dad grew up in Mason, a small little town with lots of friendly folks and, when I was younger, with show boats steaming down the Ohio River daily.

Among those in the entourage at the State Fair are Benny and Karen Toler, of Oceana, their grandchildren, Haven and Elijah Helmandollar, who came up from Sevierville, Tenn., and other family members, including Lisa Morgan and Agla Edwards, of Mason County, Jasmine Blankenship and Matthew Morgan, of Raleigh and Wyoming counties.

The happiness in their faces, both adults and young people, when they discussed the fair and how they look forward to camping together each year leaves little doubt that the annual exposition is family-oriented and, hopefully, always will be!

P.S. It was Lisa who offered me the doughnut and the young people, with wide grins, who insisted I have more.

I didn’t, but it was a real temptation!



ON A SAD NOTE ... For many years, Marion Shiflet and the campground at the State Fair were linked together.

Marion, who lived in Union, was at the fair last year, and as I was getting set to leave the exposition for the final time, he pulled up beside me in his golf cart.

He gave me the invitation he extended to me, not once but often, every year at the State Fair. 

“Come and see how full the campground is,” he’d say with a warm smile.

For a long time, he would give the name of the first person who came into the gate each Thursday, which traditionally is the day the campground opens.

I didn’t accept his offer because I was on my way home. But I have wonderful memories of taking those tours and our conversations about his pet project, the State Fair campground.



A NEAT IDEA ... Bales of hay topped with pots overflowing with varied colors of petunias are outside decorations for Zul’s Frozen Lemonade stand on the commercial midway.

Zul’s has a busy schedule and takes its product to a number of locations in the Mountain State.

I’ve never heard of raspberry lemonade, but it’s among the flavors at the Zul’s stand. Bet it’s tasty.



LOTS OF WAVES ... That’s what two teenagers with the Greenbrier East High School Spartan Marching Band were doing  when I went through the main gate on Thursday.

“It’s fun when you do it with your friends,” agreed Megan Lewis and Tiffany Loudermilk.

The teenagers were taking part in a longtime fundraising project — parking cars — for the Spartan band.

Tiffany, a junior at Greenbrier East, is from Frankford, while Megan, a sophomore, lives in Lewisburg.

They certainly were friendly, and we had a good chat before they had to “return to business.”