FAIR OPENS TO SMELL OF COTTON CANDY

Rides whirling, the smell of cotton candy and corn dogs, pets on parade, venders hawking their wares and friends stopping to chat. Yes, it's definitely fair time in Cape Girardeau.

Fairgoers poured through the gates Sunday as the 144th SEMO District Fair got under way.

Henry Whitener wasn't worried about making it through the gates just yet. His job Sunday was to see that the cars were parked properly in the lot across from the West gate.

Whitener is a member of the Grassy Neighborhood Watch. Volunteers have supervised parking for the past several years as a fund raiser for their organizations.

Whitener has been a volunteer since the group began handling the parking.

"I don't mind doing this," he said. "It's something different from your daily routine."

The few sprinkles that continued to fall in the early afternoon didn't bother him either.

"I don't care if I get soaked," he said, "as long as it rains in Grassy."

Free admittance to the fair and bracelet night for rides was a good opening-day draw.

Ryan and Robbie Lindsey of Bonne Terre only had one thing on their minds, though, and that was winning the pet parade.

The boys, sons of Richard and Susie Lindsey, were driving a pair of sheep, Molly and Polly, who were pulling a small buckboard-style wagon loaded with goats Jill and Julie.

"All these animals were bottle-fed," said the boys' mother. The boys, ages 22 months and 8 years, take turns feeding the animals.

Ryan has shown animals at the pet parade since he was 2 and has had grand champions all but two of those years.

The boys and their team took top honors this year.

Anthony Seabaugh of Leopold proudly displayed the ribbon he received for his coon hound Red.

Tanner Schabbing and Kipper, both sporting red bandanas, won the pet and owner look-alike prize.

Greg Nenninger, retired principal from Leopold, was this year's judge. Some of the awards were quite creative.

Ribbons were given for most low down pet, pet with the longest ears, the smallest feet, the pinkest tongue, the shortest tale, the most spots and the whitest pet just to name a few.

"Everybody goes home a winner," said Nenninger. "They all have a good time and that's what it's all about."

As soon as the pets were out of the show ring, the horses were ready to enter.

Danny Kent and Jerri Munton of Ste. Genevieve had been up since 6 a.m. getting Kent's quarter horse, Champ, ready for today's show.

"We probably worked on him a good three hours last night too," said Kent.

Champ is not quite 18 months old. This is his first season in the show ring.

The judges look for a good build in the horse as well as the way the horse stands.

"All right, we placed, we placed," Kent cheered as judges checked Munton's number.

Champ has placed in every event he's entered so far and walked off with fifth place at Sunday's show.

Mother and daughter Pam Sievers and Michelle Starkey, both of Jackson, prepared to enter the ring on their Tennessee walking horses.

Sievers, a 30-year veteran of horse shows, was showing a new horse Sunday, so Starkey inherited her mother's 19-year-old ride.

"I'm pretty nervous," said Starkey who was showing for the first time. She felt a little better knowing the horse probably knew his way around the ring pretty well.

The cool breeze from the air-conditioned Arena Building drew spectators inside to see what wares were being displayed. A popular stop seemed to be the wax sculpture exhibit.

Young and old alike were creating wax "works of art" as hot candle wax was poured into a tank of water. Using a rod attached to a base for the wax, the artists used swirling and plunging movements to create pieces resembling stalagmites.

A distinct pop, pop, popping sound is sure to catch people's attention as they make their way around the grounds.

The sound isn't of corn popping but of ice-cream being churned at Poppin Johnnie's.

Barry Chessor of Sikeston saw an ad for the non-electric ice cream machine in an Amish magazine. He and friend Harold Bays of East Prairie thought they'd give it a try.

The machine, which is actually a Type "E" John Deere gasoline engine and makes a pop, popping sound, powers the cranks on two, five-gallon ice-cream buckets.

The Type E engine was introduced in the early 1920s to churn butter, wash clothes, mix concrete and do a variety things. Its claim to fame, however, was that it could be easily used by women because it was easy to start and required little attention.

"Once you get it going, it runs forever," said Chessor. "If repair parts are ever needed, they are easy to come by."

Donald C. Adams of Cape Girardeau has come to the SEMO District Fair for about 45 years.

"Things really haven't changed all that much," he said, "except that now we have more horses."

Adams usually tries to get to the fair two or three times. He is a member of the Shrine Club and plans to be in today's parade.

"I'll be back Saturday if at all possible," he said. The fiddling contest is Saturday, and he's looking forward to hearing Liesl Schoenberger.

"She's just great," he said.

Amber Britzman of Jackson hadn't been able to try out the rides yet, but she was looking forward to doing so.

She had been busy following her grandmother, Ruth Britzman, around. The pair had been signing up for giveaways and visiting the different vendors. Their "goodie bags" were overflowing.

"We even got diapers from Procter and Gamble for my grand baby," said Ruth Britzman.

She has attended the fair since she moved into the area almost 30 years ago.

"I like to see the new things each year," she said. "The whole atmosphere of the fair is what I enjoy."

The fair continues through Saturday.

FAIR SCHEDULE

TODAY

5:30 p.m. - Parade6 p.m. - Manitou Band7:30 p.m. - Demolition derbyTUESDAYLivestock arrival day5:30 p.m. - Baby girls contest6 p.m. - Time capsule ceremony7 p.m. - Tractor pullWEDNESDAY10 a.m. - Senior activities1 p.m. - Senior hitch challenge2 p.m. - All Stars Band5:30 p.m. - Baby boys contest7 p.m. - Truck pullTHURSDAYNoon - Tractor rodeo4: 30 p.m. - Livestock sale6 p.m. - Classy Chassy Country8 p.m. - Terri ClarkFRIDAY10 a.m. - Youth activities5 p.m. - Gymnastics6:15 p.m. - Smile contest6:30 p.m. - Saw contest7 p.m. - Square dancers8 p.m. - Billy Ray CyrusSATURDAY8 a.m. - Antique tractor pull8:30 a.m. - Public speaking contest10 a.m. - Recipe contest10:30 a.m. - Livestock parade11:30 a.m. - Quarter scramble1 p.m. - Poultry and rabbit dress-up contest2 p.m. - Fiddlers contest2 p.m. - Pee wee showmanship3 p.m. - Ag adventure4 p.m. - Pedal tractor pull4:30 p.m. - Country and western dancing6 p.m. - Desert Rain Band8 p.m. - Waylon Jennings