Community Corner

Arlington Fair Excites Newcomers, Long-Time Fans Alike

The 2013 Arlington County Fair wraps up Sunday evening.

The smell of the grill, the screams of excitement, children tugging their tired parents from ride to ride to ride โ€” for such an urban area, the Arlington County Fair somehow manages to make tall buildings and tight deadlines seem so far away.

The fair kicked off Wednesday and is expected to draw more than 50,000 people before it closes Sunday. It was in full swing this warm August weekend, and at least a couple of cooling stations โ€” fans spraying mist โ€” were set up to help offset the heat.

"I love it," said Hannah Russell, from Fayetteville, Tenn., who is in town visiting family. "It's something different."

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Russell and her aunt, Jenny Geanakos of Arlington, arrived at the fair Saturday night and immediately got some fresh body art.

"This was our main goal โ€” to get a henna tattoo first," said Geanakos, who comes to the fair every year.

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State Del. Bob Brink, working the Arlington County Democratic Committee booth, has been coming to the fair for at least 15 years. He said he sees a lot of the same people each time.

"It's kind of nice," he said. "It's kind of like a reunion."

The Arlington Democrats' booth featured its familiar cardboard cutout of President Barack Obama. The next table over, which belonged to the Falls Church-based ABP Insurance Agency, had a cardboard cutout for folks to take their picture with, too โ€” a life-size standup of Flo, the popular Progressive Insurance commercial character.

"It's funny," said Brenda Ramirez with the insurance agency. "Even the kids recognize her."

Several people had asked if they could buy or win Flo to take home, Ramirez said. (The Flo cutoutย did get her picture snapped with the Obama standup.) This was ABP's first year at the Arlington County Fair.ย Ramirezย said people had been "very receptive, very welcoming."

This year's theme for the competitive exhibits was "Exploring Arlington." Sarah Perz of Washington and Hubert Dobson from Arlington perused the photo exhibits upon arriving Saturday night.

Perz, originally from the small town of Caro, Mich., said she liked to compare the Arlington event to what she was used to back home. Aside from the larger agriculture focus in Michigan, she said, the two were pretty similar.

"I always like to ride the rides and eat a little fair food," she said.

The fair continues through Sunday at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center.


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