Theresa Anderson sat in a chair at the entrance of a fenced area including two large tents as the scent of pancakes wafted through the Clark County Fair.
She arrived early Friday morning in order to get free pancakes and admission to the fair’s first day. She said she thinks it’s the sixth year in a row she and her family have been leading the flapjack pack.
“The free pass and the food make it really nice,” Anderson said. “But really, it’s about being with my family and the kids. It’s a tradition.”
As the woman spoke glowingly about the company of her dozen or so loved ones who also woke up early, many of them started to emerge from behind her, taking their place in line, including 11-year-old Daisy Anderson.
Daisy said she enjoys the breakfast but has to come out to the fair regardless, because she competes with horses as a member of 4-H. So, was she excited for the pancakes?
“It’s food,” she said.
The Clark County Fair kicked off Friday with a bit of a downpour as thousands arrived for the free meal.
This year marks the fair’s 150th anniversary. Though the free pancakes are all gone, the fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 12.
Spokesman Jim Beriault said the fair gets an average of 260,000 attendees each year. More people are expected this year because of the anniversary.
“Anniversaries tend to bring people back. They want to check out what’s new,” Beriault said.
The traditional opening morning pancake breakfast is put together by Fred Meyer. This year, about 80 volunteers cranked out piles of flapjacks in the early morning hours before hungry locals arrived.
Fred Meyer spokesman Jeffery Temple said the company gives out somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000 breakfast vouchers each year.
“It’s our way to help out, and to be a part of the community,” Temple said. “Some people don’t have access to a free meal, others just want some pancakes.”
The leftovers are given to a local food bank so nothing is wasted, Temple said.
Opening-day sights
The fairgrounds continued to fill through the day. Caravans of people made their way to Ridgefield to enjoy carnival games and rides, adorable animals and food, food, food.
Groups sat on yellow benches or lounged in the grass as two greyhounds raced to jump in a pool of water. Others stood in line to ride the Starship Area 51 ride, aka the Gravitron, and gawked upward as people were launched into the air by a giant slingshot. More simply dined on an assortment of fair eats.
At 1:50 p.m., a 150th anniversary parade strode up the midway, led by a horse and carriage. Circus performers weaved among the various parade participants, including a golf cart occupied by fair royalty, the Clark County Dairy Women and Coca-Cola employees.
If You Go
• What: Clark County Fair.
• Hours Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Where: 17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield.
• Admission: Adults, $11.25; seniors 62 and older, $9.25; kids 7-12, $8.25; kids 6 and younger, free.
• Parking, transportation: Parking, $6 per vehicle (cash only); C-Tran shuttle, free from six main transfer stations; $1 discount on full gate admission with bus transfer ticket. Schedules at www.c-tran.com/fair
• Carnival: Opens at noon Saturday.
• ERS free grandstand: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, 7 p.m.
• Pets: Not permitted, except for service animals or those on exhibit or in competition.
• More information: www.clarkcofair.com
The largest group involved in the parade was 4-H, a nationwide youth development program with strong membership in the county. Onlookers clapped as the group strode through the fairgrounds.
The parade went directly past the Clark County Dairy Women ice cream parlor. Standing near the back of the line, behind the building, Lena Orem said she’s been coming to fair since she was a child. Her daughter, 13-month-old Avery, was making her inaugural visit.
“The ice cream is delicious. It’s the real milk they use,” Orem said. “They work hard. There’s no AC in there.”
Located directly next to the popular ice cream stand, fairgoers grabbed a bite at the resurrected Chicken & Rib House. The building that for many years housed the shop, which also used to sell malts, was destroyed by a fire in April.
Owners Betty and Larry Bowman have been struggling to get the operation back up and running.
“It took a lot of hard work and tenacity,” said Betty Bowman, standing in front of the temporary replacement food stand constructed from PVC pipes and red tarps. “We got help from friends. We took out loans. We used up our savings.”
She said many people have expressed happiness that the stand is still serving up the favorites — chicken, ribs and corn.
The Bowmans have been feeding folks at the fair for 46 years.
“We’d be sad if it was somebody else here,” she said. “It’s such a big part of our lives.”
