Volusia County Fair opens

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DELAND -- Jars of hot sauce, jelly, tomatoes, pickles and spiced vinegar were lined up Wednesday afternoon in front of 91-year-old Margaret Kircher, a Volusia County Fair volunteer since shortly after World War II who was judging canned-good entries. Across the fairgrounds, 10-year-old Nina Tacy lined up with other animal owners waiting to check her bunny, Blizzard, into her first-ever competition and hoping she'd take home a prize. They were among hundreds of people busily preparing Wednesday afternoon for today's opening of the 64th annual Volusia County Fair and Youth Show. Gates at the fairgrounds at State Road 44 and Interstate 4 near DeLand open at 4 this afternoon. The fair continues through Nov. 15. Kircher was one of three judges poring over 190 entries in the canning and preserving division. A former winner of many fair ribbons -- including best of show -- for her canned goods, she knew just what to look for. "The tomatoes have a good color," she said, tipping a jar of tomatoes and garlic back and forth. "You know when they're that good color they're fresh tomatoes." Nina, on the other hand, wasn't quite sure what judges would be looking for when they checked out Blizzard, but she was hoping for the best. Nina bought Blizzard with $20 she earned doing household chores. "I hope she does good," she said. The fair offers a little something for everyone: young and old, animal lover and history buff, cake connoisseur and flower grower. Then there are the rides on the midway, of course, and the typical fair food ranging from funnel cakes to sausage sandwiches, as well as entertainment. The rides and food booths were all in place Wednesday afternoon, waiting for the crowds to arrive. The crowds were already milling around the livestock building where cows, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits and chickens were settling into their new surroundings with the help of youthful owners who raised them for fair competition. Cayce Walker of Edgewater led Duchess, a 3-year old sheep she bottle fed as a baby, to her assigned pen. While some of the sheep were baa-ing loudly at their new neighbors, Cayce wasn't too worried about Duchess adapting. Duchess is so laid back, Cayce said, "she falls asleep in the show ring." Cayce's friend Jareck Butterbrodt wasn't quite so lucky with his sheep, Izzy, and her 6-month-old daughter, Josie. "They get stressed," Jareck said as he watched the animals get used to their pens. Josie, entered in competition for the first time, was "going in circles" when she arrived at the fairgrounds. Cayce and Jareck are both showing goats as well as sheep at the fair. Jareck said Cayce first got him interested in raising animals and he likes the competition of showing them at the fair. Even without prizes, Jareck said working with the animals provides its own rewards. "You see something new every day," the Edgewater teen said. "Sheep are jumping around like rabbits; they make you laugh."