Aside from seeing the largest pumpkin, admiring winning pies and canned jam or seeing the livestock, the Sandwich Fair is where generations of families and friends share time together.
The 136th edition of the fair was held from Wednesday through Sunday at the fairgrounds on the southern border of DeKalb County in Sandwich.
Hailey Hoffmann and Katie Kreinbrink grew up in Sandwich and have been coming to the fair for years.
“We appreciate the friendly environment, exhibits and food stands,” said Hoffmann, 19. “The hand-rolled pretzels are so good.”
The young women look forward to seeing old school friends at the event. Hoffmann attends Joliet Junior College, while Kreinbrink attends Waubonsee Community College.
They both have fond memories of the fair.
“I remember coming to the fair with my grandparents and they still come to the fair every year,” Kreinbrink said.
She remembers being in the stands watching the demolition derby with her father as well, she said.
Sharon Wallis sold fair tickets at the main gate of the fair in her youth. She returned to her original post 11 years ago when she retired from teaching.
“I love seeing the people, especially my former students,” the retired Newark Middle School teacher said.
Jaime Herrmann was raised in St. Charles but left the urban life when she met her husband, Jarred. They have two daughters – Zoey, 12 and Addison, 16.
The family has a farm in Earlville, growing corn and soybeans, and includes lots of animals, Herrmann said.
“The Sandwich Fair is our last hurrah before we head to the field for the harvest,” Herrmann said. “I grew up as a city girl admiring people who showed at the fair.”
Participating in some of the livestock activities at the fair has taught her daughters lessons in responsibility, the circle of life and how to care for animals, she said.
“We love seeing how our passion for the farm is being passed on to our kids,” Herrmann said.
Edith Anaya and Steve Mattas of North Aurora were at the fair with their two young daughters, Adilene, 1, and Lucia, who is 4 months old.
“Every year we like to come to the Sandwich Fair to look around and experience all of the sights and sounds,” Anaya said.
Sandwich Fair souvenirs were on full display in the Gazebo Information and Souvenir Center immediately outside of the Home Arts Building at the fairgrounds.
A honey pot with lid and dipper, made by Rowe Pottery, was this year’s main feature, in addition to the lapel pin that resembles the fair’s original entrance gates. The lapel pins were designed by Jackie Dannewitz.
“The pottery has been selling very well,” volunteer Karen Breunig said at the fair.
Breunig has been helping out at the Sandwich Fair since she was in high school. She’s been volunteering at the Gazebo Information and Souvenir Center since the early 1990s.
Her father, the late Wiley Updike, began volunteering at the grandstand gate and advanced to other capacities, including president of the Sandwich Fair Association. Her mother, Nancy, still volunteers at the fair.
“I have been coming since I was a child,” Breunig said. “The fair is a longtime tradition for our family. Generations of families are part of the fair.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
