A Nice Day For A Fair

WALTERVILLE: Shiny cars, trucks and tractors rolled down Walterville’s Millican Road Sunday, joined by horses, goats, donkeys, bikes, walkers – and plenty of fire trucks – as the community turned out for the 71st annual Walterville Community Fair Parade.

Leading the lineup of classic cars was Grand Marshal Rita Maxwell, at the wheel of a gleaming silver roadster. The car carried special meaning: her late husband, Dean, had driven the ’33 Ford Highboy – built by Cris Kuhnhausen of Springfield’s A Street Automotive – at countless events over the years.

“We took it everywhere,” Maxwell said. On this day, she and co-pilot Jan Helfrich appreciated both the coupe’s heated seats and the break in the weather, as the parade rolled under dry skies.

Beyond the parade, the fairgrounds buzzed with exhibits and competitions. Juried entries filled the community hall with displays of canned goods, baked treats, garden produce, handcrafts, antiques, and photography. Quilts, crochet and knit projects lined the walls, while blue ribbons adorned many of the entries.

The Walterville Fair remains a community tradition, bringing neighbors together to celebrate local talent and history.

For coverage of the day’s kickoff event – the 5K Walterville Waddle – see Page 12.