Back to the Fair, a post-COVID twist

A longstanding tradition in Anoka County, the annual Fair once again brought people to see the best of what the county has to offer. For staff at the Anoka County Historical Society, it feels like we've become as much a part of the woodwork there as anything. It's difficult to tell exactly when ACHS began discussing history at the Fair, but the farmhouse takes on a "home away from home" feel for our crew who spend from 10-8 p.m. there every day for a week. We wear aprons, handmade dresses, or overalls. We handle the antique kitchen equipment and show off the wood-burning stove. Though, the most historically immersive part of the week has to be sitting in the summer heat with no air conditioning!

This year, the first back from COVID, proved a little different. First of all, staff had masks available for periods of high-density visitation, though they didn’t often prove necessary. There were fewer visitors to the house than other years and fair goers seemed more inclined to spread their visits out then crush into a large group. Many people, especially families and groups of kids, gathered on the front lawn to play games like Graces, whimmydiddle, and Jacob's Ladder. The stories flowed freely, finally given an outlet after being tucked away for more than a year. It seems that almost everyone’s grandmother lived in a house just like the one we were in.

Of course, one of the most fun things about the week has to be engaging with visitors about the house they think they know well. The silver, cylindrical appliance in the kitchen corner is a perfect example of this. “Can you guess what that is?” we ask, and the answers we heard ranged everywhere. Some of our favorite guesses were oven, meat smoker, laundry machine, and old-fashioned microwave! It’s hard to tell that this strange device is an ice box, designed so that blocks of sawdust-coated ice were placed in the top compartment so that the cold air sank and cooled food at the bottom. Another question, “what room is missing from this house?” is especially fun with the kids. Some of them take time searching the house, some of them guess right away, but many of them seem stumped by a house that might be missing the rooms they’re used to. The answer, of course, is the bathroom. Our 1930’s farmhouse isn’t outfitted with indoor plumbing, and when kids learn that the youngest sibling had to empty the chamber pot every morning it always gets a laugh. As wonderful as the wild guesses and laughter are, though, it’s always bolstered by the satisfaction of sharing history with new people.

As ACHS works to discern how to gather the stories of all residents, regardless of geography, ethnicity, and economic status, we appreciate the people we meet at festivals such as the County Fair. We often hear, "I didn't know there was a history center!" which means we are indeed reaching new audiences through our outreach efforts--because now they DO know the building exists. Several old friends came by to see us as well, which warms our hearts and reminds us that the work we do each day matters, that relationships we build are nurtured and cherished. It takes both groups to propel ACHS forward as a nonprofit, the established as well as the new. Both groups have stories to share and information to preserve for future generations. It's interesting that a kitchen table with a puzzle on it feels like a safe place to start that conversation, regardless of whatever else life has in store for us all.