| JULY 11, 2010 -- The threat of rain and competition from Sailfest in New London didn't keep people away Saturday from the rides, food and agricultural attractions at the North Stonington Agricultural Fair.
Showers kept afternoon attendance smaller than usual, but committee member Tom Weissmuller, who was directing traffic, expected the usual nighttime swell of crowds.
"Friday and Saturday nights are traditionally our busiest, even though we're competing with the Groton fireworks tonight," Weissmuller said. "For now, we're surrounded by rain, and I think that's keeping some people away," he said, looking up at the clear blue sky overhead.
Night crowd
"We'll still get the nighttime crowds though," he predicted. "A lot of people come here to get dinner before the fireworks."
In another part of the fairgrounds, some of the livestock presenters were hoping for rain to tamp down the dirt. The dozen spectators leaning against a fence during the lawn mower race couldn't open their mouths to cheer for the competitors - hoots and hollers turned into hacking coughs because of the dust kicked up by the speeding mowers.
The dust was also a problem at the pens where horses and cows were being shown.
"I just want it to rain already. The rain will cool everything off and get rid of the dust so the water truck doesn't have to come by so often, " said Renee Gauvin, 14, of Canterbury, who was showing her first cow Saturday.
Other people showing cows were just hoping for some relief from the heat.
Tashia Marineau, 22, and her sister Timiya, 18, both of Brooklyn, had turned two large fans on the four cows they would be showing later that day.
Beat the heat
The heat didn't hurt everyone, though. Vendors selling lemonade and ice cream had lines at their booths, while others selling water and soda were also busy.
Lisa and Sean Donovan, of Brooklyn, have been going to the North Stonington Fair for years.
They said they like it because it's smaller than other Eastern Connecticut fairs, such as Brooklyn and Woodstock.
For their daughter Hannah, 5, the best part was the Ferris wheel, which she rode with her grandparents, Frank and Jan Kramer of Griswold. Frank Kramer's favorite part? The fried cheesecake.
Vendor Donna Jellifer, of Woonsocket, R.I., was working the fair for the first time. She said Saturday afternoon wasn't as busy as Friday night had been, but she anticipated a larger crowd later that night at her baked potato booth.
"It's really just one of those fairs you see in movies," she said. "There's the animals, and the stuff like the pie-eating contest. And everyone's so polite. I think I'd come here even if I wasn't working."
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