As they walked off the Downdraft, Tabitha Wright, 14, and Ella Roye, 13, were all smiles — even if it was a little more intense than they expected.
“We were not expecting it to be that fast,” said Wright, a Crown Point resident. “We just saw it going, and we were like, ‘Wait, that looks fun’.”
The Downdraft might look intimidating to those walking past. It has about six cars attached to a base, taking passengers — with their feet dangling — about 30 feet in the air and spinning them.
But Wright and Roye both said they weren’t scared.
“It was actually a lot of fun,” Roye said.
Wright and Roye were two visitors who stormed the Lake County fairgrounds Friday to celebrate opening day at the Lake County Fair. Both girls said the annual fair is a great way for them to end their summer vacation.
The 174th annual Lake County Fair will run through Aug. 16. Admission is $8 for adults and children older than 11 years old. Children younger than 10 years old get in for free.
Visitors can find a variety of fried foods, carnival rides and 4-H farm animals.
Jordan Wagner traveled to the Lake County Fair from Berrien Springs, Michigan. She joined her daughter, Hayden, to show their sheep, Madonna, on Friday.
Wagner said Friday was the only day they’d be at the fair.
“My daughter wanted to come to another open show this year,” Wagner said. “They have the fair show, and then they have the open show that everybody can come to.”
The family travels around Indiana and Michigan to show animals, including sheep, goats and pigs. Wagner said, when she was a child, she also showed animals, so it makes her proud to see her daughter down the same path.
“I love watching her show,” Wagner said. “I mean, she puts so much work in during the year. She’s done several shows this year, so between her first and last show, there’s a lot of growth.”
Lily Hamilton from Crown Point is another girl who showed off animals Friday. Hamilton showed her one-year-old cochin bantam, a type of chicken.
On Friday, she participated in a master showmanship class.
“Showmanship is basically all about you and how you present the animal, not the animal being judged itself,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton has been involved with 4-H for about nine years, she said.
“My favorite part of doing 4-H is honestly just being able to connect with all the other 4-Hers and just make new friends,” Hamilton added.
While Hamilton and other 4-H participants were showing off their birds, fairgoers could sneak a peak at what would be shown later. Greg and Linda Smith, Cedar Lake residents, spent time looking at the chickens and ducks after looking at the horses.
“It’s nice to get out, walk around,” Linda Smith said. “The animals are the best part. I mean, that’s our main purpose when we come to the fair.”
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The couple has gone to the Lake County Fair for about 10 years, Greg Smith said. Coming on opening day has become a tradition for them.
“I’ve gone with my sisters, and we’d go when the kids were little,” Linda Smith said. “We’ve just done it for as long as I can remember.”
Brett Walker and Heather Miller, both from St. John, went to the fair with their children, Damien, 8, and Dax, 4. Dax said he liked looking at the chickens and couldn’t wait to ride the ferris wheel.
Walker and Miller said they like going to the fair with the kids, especially because it’s at the end of the summer. They meet up with family members, Walker said, and there’s a lot of activities that keep the kids busy.
“They’re excited for school, so it’s a good place to get some energy out,” Miller said. “I’m out of stuff to plan for them, so when we’re here, there’s plenty to look at. … And my favorite part of being here is seeing their smiles.”