My day at the fair: downhome delights and cultural Christianity

By Mark A. Taylor

This week I left the suburbs for a visit to the Great Darke County Fair, Greenville, Ohio, recommended by a friend as “one of the best county fairs in the state.”

I’m no connoisseur of this genre, mind you, but I’ll say this fair lived up to the five-star rating.

Sights to behold

Early in the day we watched a remarkable artisan use a chain saw with an impressive assembly of other power tools to transform a giant log into a sculptured patio table.

We walked through outdoor displays of two-story-tall farm implements, designed to accomplish a wider array of tasks than I can even imagine

We toured barn after barn after barn, each devoted to a different farm animal: swine, cattle, rabbits, goats, sheep, and chickens.

Throughout I was reminded of the creativity of God, the enterprise of everyday people, and the hard work that brings food to our markets week after week.

Chainsaw magic, posing beside a beautiful animal.

Experiences to savor

We met friendly fairgoers, always willing to explain to us what we were seeing at the tractor-pull or the goat pens, others working diligently inside their food trucks to make a living by selling pork tenderloins or cotton candy.

And speaking of food, those two options were just the beginning. You want it fried, you could find it on the sprawling midway: Italian sausages, pork sausages, two different booths of Fiske French fries (“still cooking after 80 years”), burgers, hot dogs, elephant ears (different from those you find those at the zoo), funnel cakes, and deep-fried almost everything. Lots of ice cream, too, and here in the center of Ohio, something called Italian ice.

I was about to conclude there was a rule against produce (“This is a no-roughage zone,” I remarked to my companions as we browsed the offerings) until I did see salads for sale in one lonely corner and, in another, a trailer offering the ABC Bowl, Apples and Bananas covered with Caramel. (I didn’t buy from either vendor.). (Note above, that the guy selling gravestones was strategically (?) positioned right beside the sundae shop. Hmmm . . .)

Cultural Christianity

I enjoyed the fair and admire all the toil and tenacity it represents. But I was a bit taken aback by nods to God on display in more than one place.

Soon after we arrived, for example, I came across one fairgoer admiring lawn tractors and sporting a Heinz-red T-shirt displaying a huge logo reminiscent of the familiar ketchup seller. Across the top it encouraged, “Catch-up with Jesus!” and continued at the bottom “’Cuz he loves me from my head to-ma-toes.” (Later I discovered the shirts for sale, $27 online.)

One vendor had created a handsome sign to advertise its brand, Heavenly Soft Pretzels, with the tagline “O taste and see that the Lord is good – Psalms 34:8.”

Another displayed a painted wooden plaque, like one some would hang in their family room, with the calligraphed challenge “Prayer is the key, but faith opens the door.”

Nothing wrong with any of this, of course. But I doubt I’d report such sightings from a street fair in New York City or even Cincinnati, or a bazaar at the local Episcopal church. I realized I had wandered into a distinct cultural context.

My contemplation turned to concern after browsing awhile in a giant tent selling everything from hardware gadgets to kitchen tools to ladies’ jewelry. One corner contained a shelf of bumper stickers, one of which said, “Trump 2024. No more bull****. (All letters, no asterisks.) Just above this beauty was a ball cap with the embroidered testimony, “Jesus Is My Boss.” And I couldn’t help but wonder if any fair visitors were buying both items.

Settling for comfort?

My point here is not to criticize or belittle—or to provoke political or religious pushback. But I am asking myself some questions as I reflect on the Christian testimonies I saw at the fair.  

How willing am I to display a commitment to Jesus through my lifestyle as well as a T-shirt or wall decoration?

How often have I misused Scripture to sell myself—to myself or to others?

How many of my core beliefs about politics, culture—even Christianity—come more from my upbringing and my relationships than from the Scripture itself? How tightly would I hold my beliefs outside a circle of folks always telling me I’m right?

To those who respond, “Just relax. Why turn a fun outing into a philosophical quandary?” I’ll reply, “You may be right.” But I do think my questions are important for me to answer. I’m trying to figure out how to take comfort from my faith without settling for a faith that’s merely comfortable. That’s an issue to keep pondering long after my delightful day at the fair.

To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
To download a printable version of today’s post, click here.