The more time I spend walking around the Warren County A&L Fair looking at the food, the more I realize something: The food is only part of the story.
Every booth has somebody standing behind it. Somebody who showed up early, stayed late, volunteered their time, brought a family recipe, fired up a grill or spent hours preparing food for people they may never meet again. And sometimes, those people mean a little more to you than others.
For this round of fair food, I wanted to highlight three booths that each have a different story: McMinnville Special Games, Dos Marias Street Food and Eva's Concessions.
I'm going to start with McMinnville Special Games because, for me, this one is personal.
I've had the pleasure of doing business with Holly McBride and interacted with her through Special Games, and I can tell you from experience that Holly is one of those people who makes a community better simply by being part of it. She's also one of the kindest people I've met around Warren County.
So when I had the opportunity to talk with her about the Special Games booth at the fair, I was interested in hearing the story behind it.
Five years ago, the organization received the booth as a donation from the Lions Club. Since then, it has become a fixture at the fair, serving up food while also helping support the work of McMinnville Special Games. All proceeds go back into their programs and activities.
And what is the biggest seller? The fried bologna sandwich.
After trying it myself, I completely understand why.
It's almost ridiculously simple: perfectly sliced fried bologna, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and cheese, all sitting between two pieces of toasted bread. But sometimes simplicity is where food really shines.
The bologna is fried just right, the bread has that little bit of toastiness, the cheese brings some richness and the lettuce and tomato give you just enough freshness to balance everything out. It's country food in the best possible way. It's the kind of sandwich that doesn't need a fancy name or a dozen ingredients. It's just good.
But what stuck with me even more than the sandwich was something Holly told me.
She said they're "very grateful for all the people who come out and volunteer to make this happen each year."
That's the part of fair food we don't always think about. There are people giving their time so the rest of us can walk up, order a sandwich and enjoy a few minutes at the fair. People like Holly, who don't always get the recognition they deserve.
So if you're at the fair and you see the McMinnville Special Games booth, sit down and get the fried bologna sandwich. And while you're there, remember that there's a whole lot more behind that sandwich than what's on the plate.
Dos Marias Street Food: A Familiar Face
Dos Marias is another booth that brings back some personal memories for me.
When I was running my food trailer, I had the pleasure of setting up at events alongside them. Anyone who has worked a food event knows that you get to know your fellow vendors pretty quickly. You're sharing space, equipment, customers, long days and sometimes a little bit of chaos.
Dos Marias was always a group of people I was happy to see. They're extremely nice people, and their food speaks for itself.
If you've never had their elote, the fair is a good opportunity to change that. Mexican street food is built around big flavors, and Dos Marias does it particularly well. Their elote is one of those foods that can turn a quick stop into something you find yourself thinking about later.
And that's what I enjoy about seeing them at events. They're not simply filling a spot in the food lineup. They're bringing something different to the fair and giving people another reason to explore.
Eva's Concessions: Something for the Sweet Tooth
Then there is Eva's Concessions.
The fair has no shortage of sweet treats, but Eva's caught my attention because of the variety. There's something about walking through the fair and seeing rows of colorful, sugary creations that makes you feel like a kid again.
The blue candy apples, in particular, are a big hit with the kids, and I can see why. They're bright, fun and practically designed to catch a child's eye from halfway across the midway.
But the candy apple salad was the one that caught me. It was packed with caramel and nuts, and there was enough caramel that every bite felt like you had found the good stuff at the bottom.
It's a completely different experience from the fried bologna sandwich or a plate of Mexican street food, but that's exactly what makes the fair food experience so much fun. You can have a savory meal at one booth and then immediately start looking for dessert at another.
The Food Is the Beginning of the Story
These three booths are completely different. One serves a simple fried bologna sandwich. One brings Mexican street food to the fair. One specializes in the colorful, sugary treats that make kids drag their parents toward the concession stand.
But there's something they all have in common: people.
That's what I've enjoyed most about exploring the food at the A&L Fair. Every plate gives you an opportunity to discover another person, another organization or another story that's part of Warren County.
So, as you make your way around the fair, don't just look at the menu. Look behind the counter.
There's a good chance there's a story there, too.