For as long as I can remember, the Dyer County Fair has been a special place for me to visit, dream of and reminisce about. There’s something about the bright colors of every ride and game you can imagine, the laughter of children on the merry-go-round and the sense of community, when everyone from every season of your life is in one spot. It’s a feeling of nostalgia unlike anything else, similar to watching a movie you loved as a child but haven’t seen in a while.
Underneath the red, yellow, and blue lights of the Ferris wheel, I would look around to see what game I wanted to play next. It was the best feeling. Endless possibilities were ahead of me. I could try to win a goldfish, a really big stuffed frog or a poster of a celebrity. I always loved the game where you threw darts at as many balloons as you could to pop them. I remember specifically wanting a poster of Hannah Montana so bad that I played the game over and over again and used up all of my tickets. I won the poster and felt like a million bucks. As soon as I got home that night, I hung up the poster for everyone to see, so I would get to share the story of how I won the prize.
The fair has only ever brought me the happiest memories. I cannot recall a time when I was upset at the fair — unless you count the end of fair week when I had to wait another year for it to return. I looked forward to it all year long, and seeing movies with fair scenes brought me joy because they offered a glimpse of a time in my life when everything felt right in the world.
One particular movie that comes to mind is “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” You might think it is silly, but this movie — like the fair — brings a unique sense of nostalgia. The fair scene is especially moving, as Montana performs for her hometown — despite being a pop star. It is not until she looks around — seeing the people who know and love her for who she truly is — that she feels she can let her guard down. The double life she has been leading no longer serves her, and it is only when she is back in a place where her heart feels at home that she realizes it. Despite her doubts, the crowd’s encouragement helps her finish the show with the same spirit she started. In this scene, Montana sings about how, no matter the paths life may take, you can never truly leave home. Home is where your people are, where your dreams come from, and where you can be yourself. It is a special place, forever a part of who you are.
When I discussed movies that remind my friend Reagan of the Fair, she instantly mentioned “The Notebook” and “Charlotte’s Web.”
“They embody a very iconic, ‘All-American’ setting that humanizes the characters in a small-town, fun sense,” she said.
This captures the essence of the fair perfectly. The feeling that only your home town can bring is exactly what the Hannah Montana movie felt like. It is the place where everyone knows everyone and they all want updates about your life. Where are you going to college? Where do you want to work? Where do you want to live? Are you dating anyone? Questions come flooding the minds of those who have not seen you in a while, and this might be their only chance to catch you before the fair rolls around next year.
The fair has a distinct smell, a mix of sweet and salty in the air from all the food options available. This inclusiveness points back to how the fair can play a pivotal role in someone’s childhood experience. I would always want to eat a chicken on a stick every night we went to the fair, even though it truly was only a normal chicken tender that I could get any time throughout the year. Eating a chicken on a stick symbolized that the fair was back. It also made me realize the importance of not taking a single bit of it for granted, because it only came around once a year. The funnel cakes were always the dessert that I was drawn to. You could smell the sweetness from a mile away. That was something that I could not just get throughout the year, so it was even more special every time I had one.
This year, I had the opportunity to bring my college friends to the fair, which was a special experience. Growing up, I went with friends from elementary, middle, and high school, and now with college friends. Friendship is priceless, and the fair reminded me of that. It wouldn’t be the same experience if it were something you did alone. While some might find solitude appealing, a sense of community is often what people yearn for. It was interesting going to the fair with my friends from college because at the end of the night, I knew we would all be going back to the same place and living amongst each other. Growing up, that was not the case. At the end of the night, everyone would have to go their separate ways. We would spend hours together at the fair so that we would not have to leave each other.
Fast forward a few years, and I get to spend every night with my college friends. That makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Just like in “Hannah Montana: The Movie”, where Hannah is surrounded and uplifted by her community during a crucial decision, my experiences at the fair reinforce the value of having loved ones in your corner. It is so special to look around and see all the people that you love and that love you in return, enjoying each other’s company and not worrying about all the little things that life can bring.
Growing up in the South may have instilled in me a yearning for community, which has shaped my view of the fair. I believe nostalgia and the people you surround yourself with make or break experiences.
The fair will always bring me back to my roots and remind me of the joy of doing life alongside others. Share your hometown and its special places with others to relive the moments that shaped you into who you are. There is nothing quite like a happy fair memory.