Rain no match for fun at fair

Greg Kaler, also known as “The Bubbler” and “George of the Juggle,” was among free acts at the Pierce County Fair last weekend. He used large nets on poles to cast hundreds of bubbles which children of all ages ran to pop.

My husband, two young children and I drove from Minot to Rugby last Friday afternoon to experience our first Pierce County Fair.

Initially, I had the goal to compete in the annual skillet throwing contest and bring the blue ribbon and bragging rights back home to impress all of my friends and colleagues. As the afternoon progressed and the thunderclouds started rolling in, we slowly realized our afternoon was going to take a different turn.

Charles, my husband, and I have the privilege of working together for the newspaper and it isn’t very often we have the opportunity to travel together for stories. Reporting on the fair together was a welcome change of pace – being able to bring our children along was the icing on the cake.

As soon as we walked through the gates we were approached by a volunteer who let us know several of the special events were either canceled or rescheduled due the rain from the previous day. Despite having to be the bearer of bad news, this volunteer was incredibly enthusiastic about all of the entertainment and activities that were still planned for the day.

She exuded the Rugby spirit my husband and I have come to know and love since starting our reporting here. Despite any roadblocks or hardships, the people of Rugby are always proactive and maintain a positive outlook. Whether it’s the school earning a special accolade, a resident traveling overseas to volunteer or a film crew documenting what it’s like to live in a small town, the community is always right there supporting the cause and taking pride in what their town can accomplish. It was clear right from the start the fair is a beloved and treasured Rugby tradition.

This was the first fair experience for our 4-year-old daughter, November, and our nearly 1-year-old son, Luca. Though Luca was only interested in trying to get his pudgy baby feet into his mouth, November’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw the colorful tents and carnival rides.

“Mama, this park is really cool” were the first words out of November’s mouth – it hadn’t occurred to me that she didn’t understand the fair wasn’t a permanent fixture of the community. Watching my daughter skip around and point at all of the attractions made it clear we were in for a fun day.

After first checking out the vendor hall and 4-H barn where Charles and I looked for people to interview, November very quickly led us back to the midway where the rides and games were calling her name. On the first few rides she maintained a “too cool for school” attitude and refused to crack a smile. Instead she sported a serious, gloomy look on her face, even though her eyes were full of excitement and glee. After a few rides on Dizzy’s Dragons she got sick of keeping up the facade and gave in, finally giving us some reassurance that she was, in fact, having fun.

We noticed the sun was starting to get blocked out by some ominous looking clouds, but before we could process what we were seeing, November started running toward something at speeds only known to little kids when they see one thing – bubbles.

Across the grounds was a gaggle of children running at full speed to pop bubbles that were cast by an older man with a net held up by two long poles. The wagon holding the soapy solution had a little sign that said, “The Bubbler.” An apt name for such a unique job.

As soon as the bubbling concluded we started to feel the occasional raindrop. The rides were still operating but we decided to make our way to the fair office to make sure the skillet-slinging competition was still a go. Next to the office was a little tent that housed Linda and Friends, a free ventriloquist act. I left the husband and kids with the puppets and made my way to track down a volunteer.

I found Don Jelsing, longtime volunteer and former president of the fair board, and he told me as long as the fair didn’t get drowned out I would still have the opportunity to throw some cast iron cookware. Right on cue, lightning filled the sky and thunder bellowed through the midway.

I took that as a sign to get back to my family before the inevitable downpour ensued. When I reached the tent, November had somehow convinced the ventriloquist to allow her to give the puppets a spin. Another strike of lightning lit up the sky and the light sprinkling of rain turned into torrential downpour.

We had just huddled under the tent when November uttered the words, “Mommy, I have to go potty.” Of course she did – all children seem to possess a supernatural sense of knowing exactly when the most inconvenient time to use the bathroom is.

As we approached the nearest porta potty we could hear the cows mooing in response to the sudden storm. I felt reassured that I wasn’t the only one grumpy about the rain.

Soaked to the bone, we decided to make our way back to the gates once the rain lightened up. Apparently, the rain wasn’t about to put a halt to the festivities as we came across an impromptu magic show just off the midway under some large tents. We decided “Why not?” and enjoyed one last show.

It turned out “The Bubbler” had another pseudonym – “George of the Juggle.” He started off his set with impressive juggling tricks that had November silent in stunned amazement. Then he broke out the magic.

November was entranced by the card tricks and other fantastical antics of the magician. She even pulled up onstage to be an assistant. While November was onstage, Luca was sitting in his dad’s arms clearly not impressed with being cold and wet, but did clap enthusiastically with the music blasting from the speakers.

We never found out if the skillet-throwing contest was still on as we left after the magic show concluded. We were dressed for summer but the North Dakota weather had other plans.

The ride home was silent as both children had fallen asleep less than 10 minutes into the car ride home, the signature mark of a successful outing.

Even though there was a thunderstorm, it didn’t “rain on our parade.” It would’ve been easy for the fair organizers to throw in the towel and cancel the rest of the special events for the rest of the evening, but that’s not the Rugby way.

This year my family was able to see firsthand why the Rugby community works so hard to provide residents and visitors the opportunity to live big in a small town. Watching my shy daughter break out of her comfort zone to willingly be a ventriloquist and a magician’s assistant made memories I will hold dear to my chest for the rest of my life. I am excited to see what shenanigans Luca and November will get into next year.