At the Salem Fair
SALEM – Kids ran around with cotton candy-filled stomachs and arms full of prizes from the carnival games while large crowds filtered under the glowing lights of the entrance to the Salem Fair on its opening weekend.
Camels, tigers, horses and goats greeted fair attendees near the main entrance, but beyond the petting zoo lay the thrill for many fair participants — the adrenaline-pumping rides.
Tay Ross, 17, of Christiansburg came to the fair to experience the rides for the first time.
The midway of the Salem Fair glows with lighted rides and the excitement of opening weekend crowds. Photo by Katherine Chiglinsky
“I had never ridden rides before, but we’ve gone on the Fireball and the Zipper,” Ross said. “I really loved the Starship 4000 ride. I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite so far.”
Ross joined her friend Tiera Davis, who is also from Christiansburg, as they viewed the fair from the height of the Big Wheel.
“I love coming here, it’s a lot of fun,” Davis said.
The Orient, a smaller rollercoaster, thrills young children over hills, small drops and turns. Photo by Katherine Chiglinsky
As the Big Wheel paused, the fair below continued to glow with the lights of rides and shows. The carnival games, rides and animal exhibits below the heights of the wheel kept the fair alive for its 24th annual year at the Civic Center.
Guilie Anderson and Ginny Shelton of Salem have returned for 19 years to enjoy the fair. Living across the street from the Civic Center is hectic with the traffic, they said, but they enjoy the games and rides of the fair each year.
“It’s loud. We’ve learned how to avoid the busy roads during this time of the year,” Anderson said.
“It seems more crowded [Saturday night], but it’s always fairly crowded on opening weekend.”
“My kids keep me coming back each year,” Shelton explained. “They love the rides and games.”
Camel rides, tiger shows, and rides fit for younger ages offered an alternative for young fairgoers. For a break from the rides, the fair sponsored a firefighter training show and even a cooking show hosted by Phillip Fore.
Covington residents Preston Leitch and his wife Sarah came to enjoy the fair with their daughter Grace, 10, and her friend Vanna Hoke. Leitch had more than an armful of stuffed animals as he walked to the car with their carnival prizes.
“We got here early today and it was really hot,” Preston Leitch said Saturday. “But we enjoy it. It’s a fun thing to do in the summer.”
The Swings remain a favorite ride for Salem Fairgoers. Photo by Katherine Chiglinsky
Grace and Vanna rode the swings while at the fair, took a picture with a baby kangaroo and won prizes at the carnival games.
For Leitch, his family and the thousands that gathered at the Salem Fair on its opening weekend, the memories coupled with the prizes keep them returning to the event year after year. This year’s Salem Fair runs through Sunday, July 10.
– By Katherine Chiglinsky
