Exhibits, food and fun on Senior Day
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on October 4, 2017 5:50 AM
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Shirley and Robert Overton look through the Wayne County Master Gardeners' exhibit at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair on Tuesday during Senior Day.
Shirley and Robert Overton have visited the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair each year since they were married.
Tuesday they made their 56th fall trip together, strolling the grounds, looking at exhibits and eating fair food.
"It's Senior Day," Shirley said with a laugh, "We get in for free."
The Overtons will celebrate their wedding anniversary on June 10, and Shirley said she and Robert have been blessed.
"God has been so good to us," she said.
Robert, looking at the large tractors on display near the pavilion on the Wayne Fairgrounds, grinned and said, "But we're still waiting on our golden years."
Shirley said she has come to fair every year since she was a teenager, ballparking her first visit around 1959 or '60.
"I know I came before we got married, and we got married in 1961," she said.
Shirley said they once loved to ride the rides, which she said they aren't able to do anymore, but there were things that haven't changed over the years.
They still love to see the exhibits.
"And the fair food," she said, a spark coming to her eye.
"It always smells so good. There is nothing like fair food."
Despite the fog of nostalgia, the Overtons weren't the only patrons at the fairgrounds Tuesday.
Eugene Fox said he came to see the exhibits and the vintage farm equipment.
He sat -- his legs extended and crossed in front of him, casually leaning back against the picnic table -- near the display.
"I came to look," Fox said.
"I came to see the tractors, implements, horses, cows and rabbits. I like livestock and the vintage farm equipment."
Fox said he wasn't raised on a farm, but he was brought up in the country.
"I did work on a farm helping a friend of mine, though," he said.
"You know, I just planted my fall garden. It's got collards, turnips, mustards and kale in it."
Senior day at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair also offered up flu shots available from Walgreens Drugs and a salute to senior citizens in the pavilion.