Ms. Lovell’s aspect of the Frederick Fair

Ms.+Lovell%E2%80%99s+aspect+of+the+Frederick+Fair

In the middle of a very lively and social flex period, I was able to have a one on one with Ms. Lovell, an Agriculture and CTE teacher at Tuscarora, who also teaches 2 vet classes and a horticulture class. 

My goal was to get an insight into what the Frederick Fair was like — what it was all about. 

“What is the significance of agriculture at the Frederick Fair?” I asked her 

“We have the fair rides and the food and snacks, which initially in my mind draws the public into the figure.  While they’re walking around they are exposed to all different kinds of livestock animals [and] different educational opportunities that they’re not aware of. The FFA and 4H can involve [the] youth and give them an extra activity outside of school,” she answers  

Ms. Lovell is extremely zealous about agriculture and with growing up in Alabama, she’s had a fair share of it. When I asked her how she felt about playing a bigger role in the fair, having all the details about what goes on behind the scenes, she told me “Yeah I’d say so, especially since I’m not from a big agricultural community. So everything I know I’ve had to learn. Seeing agriculture being highlighted [at the fair] makes me feel assured for the future. Hopeful for people to know more accurate information about where their food comes from.” 

She’s not wrong at all, the agricultural aspect of the fair is a good insight into food production. It’s good to be able  to see and experience the presence of different animals. While the rides and food are amazing, there’s also an educational perspective of the Frederick Fair. 

“Worst ride at the fair?” I asked her 

She told me that while she hasn’t gotten on any of the rides at the Frederick Fair, she has one in particular that she truly hates, “The zipper…is horrifying. [It’s] really tall and vertical and you sit in a mess. It goes up and down and flips at some point. I rode it in high school.” 

Horrifying is the right adjective to describe the fair ride, not only because of Lovell’s description of it. After doing my research on the ride, I found out that it retired not too long ago in 2017. 

I asked her at what age she attended her very first fair. As someone who has never been to one, I was curious to know more about her first experience at one. 

“I have fairs back at home, where I’m from [which is] Alabama. But not anything with livestock animals or a whole lot of agricultural presence. I was probably fairly young when I went to my first fair. In middle school I didn’t get to see my first fair with animals until I was in high school or college. The community I grew up in wasn’t the most agriculturally intensive.” 

As we were wrapping up, I still had one question in mind. What is the best treat to have at the Frederick Fair? As much of a foodie as I am, I had to know just in case I’d end up going. 

“I’ve heard the cinnamon rolls are really good, and the different blends of coffee. Frappuccino and iced coffee!”  

While I’m not a big fan of either, it’s a good heads up to the cinnamon and coffee lovers. I had a great time getting to know more about this event, especially without having to walk a lot and worry about being around a huge crowd. 

The Annual Frederick Fair is only from September 16th to the 22nd, make sure to have your fair share of fun and entertainment.