Glorious Food at the Waukesha County Fair

Yes, there are the animals and the flower shows, the arts and crafts, the bands, the stands for everything from new windows to new life spiritual and physical. But seriously now, don’t we go to a fair to eat? We gobble things we’d never try at home, ambulatory delicacy many of them, and everything fried but the lemonade.

Many Fairers had no desire to discuss their chosen fare, preferring to just find a spot in the shade and chow down. One who proudly described her dish was Jennesse, who held up her entrée before taking a bite. Perhaps that was because she’d found the only healthful offering, the veggie combo of onion rings, cauliflower, broccoli. It was still deep-fried, though.

“Don’t play with your food.”  That basic rule of table manners never met the county fair. The 4-H Cream Puff Eating Contest this year had two divisions. Because of a misprint in the program, “all ages” were allowed to enter (instead of the intended “ages 16 and up”).

The kids were just incredible. The rules state it’s a no-hands, stay-seated contest. Following MC Gene Covelli’s warnings to “Eat down” – so as not to push the plate away - they cleaned their plates.

The winner of the first-ever kids’ round was 13-year-old Josie Sindorf of Oconomowoc, who was “spending the day with her grandma at the Fair.” Josie is another multi-talented 4-H member; later I tracked down her gorgeous quilt in the crafts exhibit.  All the proceeds from this event go to support 4-H programs, said cream puff supplier Gerre Marincic.

The adults did well, too.  They had to keep their hands behind their backs and wear blindfolds!

The next day it was Little Debbies – big, fat, goo-filled cookies, not the cute little finger-cakes they’d been promised. County Executive Dan Vrakas participated in this round.

Today, it's ribs.  And Sunday, the master of these messy ceremonies grinned, it’s the main event: The pie-eating. Whipped cream everywhere, he crowed.

One sort-of food contest involved a sort-of skill, and a five-minute warm-up – well, soften-up - period. Participants of all ages from 5-year-old Alex and 6-year-old Katie to moms and pops and grandparents too were given three fresh pieces of Double Bubble. And it still smells the same as you remember. The champion was Katie’s mom, Mary Maerker of Wales. Classically, her prize-winner ended up all over her face.

The Waukesha County Fair is a family affair, of course. The Kalashian family of Muskego brackets the main aisle. At Jayme’s Potatoes, teenager Korinna was expertly twirling slices of sweet potato on a skewer, prior to frying and dipping them in cinnamon and sugar, as mom Paulette and her mom waited.

Across the street, Korinna’s father, Catfish John, fried catfish and hush-puppies. These aren’t the wild channel cats of the Deep South. These big barbed fishes are farm-raised in Ohio, “the catfish capital,” sent Up North flash frozen, and cooked while your mouth waters. The hush-puppies, so named because the little bits of fried cornmeal batter were tossed to the dogs to quiet their barking, contained a little onion as tradition demands. Y’all come on now!

John Kalashian has been feeding Fairgoers here since 2003, but “I’ve been in the concession business for 50 years,” he said.

After Waukesha, he’ll work at fairs in Racine, Walworth,”nine fairs in Wisconsin.”

And, just what does he do during the winter?

“I have an auto upholstery shop in West Allis,” he said. He’ll repair seats in cars, motorcycles, boats. “I make canopies, too. I made the striped ones for the two stands.”

For dessert, what else but a funnel cake? Cherise couldn’t explain much about the cakes, but she posed with the narrow-mouthed pitcher before she poured batter into the hot oil. She had an interesting accent, certainly not the Wisconsin twang. Australia? New Zealand?

“We’re from South Africa," she said. "This is my first time here.”

Turns out crews of young people are recruited to come over here to work during our summer. In South Africa right now, it’s bitterly cold and snowy.

Welcome to Wisconsin!