1952: Kids Have Fun At The Cuyahoga County Fair

The smell of cotton candy and roasting hot dogs wafted through the air as a throng of kids fully took over the Cuyahoga County Fair. More than 21,000 people explored the fairgrounds in Berea Aug. 13, thanks in part to The Cleveland Press, which sponsored the day with free entry for those under 18.

The youngsters saw rodeo riders, played games and showed off in talent competitions, such as a bubble-blowing contest. Sandra Wyrock, Mary Louise Welther, Russel Firtion and Leslie Wagner all vied for bubble gum glory by the lungful. Sadly, the winner is lost to history. But another lucky girl, Marilyn Boyer, correctly guessed a sequence of mystery numbers concealed in jugs and won a cocker spaniel puppy the color of taffy.

Another fair favorite was a female duck named Zeke, which, having been raised among a sheep herd, thought itself a sheep. Brought to the fair by 4-H presenter David Granger of Willoughby, Zeke ate from the sheep’s food, slept with the sheep and traveled with the herd. 

“A big ram is the only animal that ever talks back to Zeke, or puts her in her place,” The Plain Dealer reported. This year’s county fair is Aug. 7-12. Keep your eyes open for sheepish ducks.