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MILES
O''BRIEN, OUR THANKS%
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GEOFF:
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LOOK
AT LAST
NIGHT''S%
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MOMENT%
FROM YOUR LOCAL PBS%
IT IS
A CHANCE
TO Hi
folks, I'm Clint Walz.
I'm on staff here at PBS Wisconsin,
taking a short break from
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Pledge your supportfor great
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AimeeGranger . I'm a member
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, PBSNewsHour.
It's ever
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And it's
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Do your
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>> It's just a really fantastic
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and a couplemore at
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[MUSIC] GEOFF:
THE SMALL BUDGET INDIE K
ANORA WAS
THE LAP -- WAS
WINNER WINNING FIVE
MIKEY
MADISON WON
FOR HER
OF
THE TITLE CHARACTER
YOUNGEST TO
RY. STEPHANIE
SY HAS MORE ON OUR
REPORTER: ANO
RA TELLS
THE STORY SEX
WORKER WHO
WITH THE SON OF A
GUARD. THE
FILM WAS
DIRECTED, WRITTEN,
IES MOLD
DISNEY FOR
NGLE FOR MORE ON SEAN BAKER''S
SWEEP
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS ON JOINED
IC
S
FOR NPR''S FRESH AIR.
WELCOME BACK TO THE NEWS HOUR.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE
OSCARS THIS
YEAR AND IN PARTICULAR THE
ANORA
WHICH TAKES ON
READ D STIGMATIZES AND
SEX WORK.
IT
DOES THAT AND THIS HAS MEANINGFUL TO SEAN
BAKER
HE HAS REPEATEDLY AND
CONSISTENTLY MADE INTERESTING AND SMART
MOVIES ABOUT
SEX
STARLET,
TANGERINE AND RED ROCKET
.
FILMMAKER MANY OF US CRITICS
WHO HAVE BEEN
WORK FOR YEARS WHO NECESSARILY
WAS
CAR. IT
IS REALLY GRATIFYING HE WON
. ANORA
WON FIVE OSCARS.
IT IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
US FEEL
THIS IS
O A
VERY LONG, FRAUGHT
AND SEASON THAT
PY IS OVER. THIS
IS NOT
THE FIRST TIME IN RECENT
YEARS WE HAVE
FILM WIN
ALSO
-- WHAT
HAS CHANGED IN
BRING THESE FILMS
I THINK THE ACADEMY IS
DIVERSE
, MORE
MEMBERSHIP.
IT
IS A YOUNGER
GROUP, A MORE
MANY MEMBERS LIVE OUTSIDE THE
U.S.
THINK THEIR
TASTE HAS
D. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME AN
ET FILM
PICTURE.
ANORA AND
THE BRUTALIST SPEED TO HIGH
REGARD OF THESE MOVIES. THEY EACH
MADE $10 MILLION OR LESS.
BOTH HAVE GROSSED $40 MILLION
IS A GOOD
THING THAT THE SEPARATE BIG
HITS MOVIES
.
I''M GRATEFUL WE
PICTURE LAST
THAT
WOULD HAVE
BEEN A
THAT, I
WANT TO TALK DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
IS THAT WHEN TO "NO OTHER
LAND"
REALLY
-
DEMOLITION OF MES.
THIS FILM DOES NOT HAVE A U.S.
WHAT
STATEMENT DID THE ACADEMY
>>
IT WAS A BRILLIANT CHOICE FOR
FOR THIS. I HOPE IT
SPEAKS TO HOLLYWOOD
BUT
COUNTRY , A
WILLINGNESS TO LOOK
OF THIS
CONFLICT
IN THE FACE WHICH
IS
. I REALLY APPLAUD THE
CHOICE.
THEY GAVE THE BEST AND
IMPORTANT AND
MOST EECH OF
NIGHT AND I HOPE "NO OTHER
LAND
" I S
AS WIDELY SEEN AS IT
JUSTIN, THANK YOU
FOR
>>
ALWAYS A PLEASURE.
GEOFF: BE
SURE TO
JOIN US
NIGHT.
WILL BE
HERE WITH
LIVE
PRESIDENT
TRUMP''S ADDRESS TO
A
CONGRESS THAT
AT 9:00 P.M. USED TERM. THAT
IS THE NEWS HOUR FOR
OF
US, THANK YOU
FOR
D -- H US.
MAJOR FUNDING FOR
THE BEEN
PROVIDED
INCLUDING ROBERT
KAPLAN AND
I SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS OWNER
ES
HISTORIC HAS CLUB
RATE
-- A RAYMOND JAMES
OW
YOU , YOUR PASSIONS
AND THE
WAY
LIFE WELL-PLANNED.
AT BDL I FEEL
LIKE A TRUE
PEOPLE VALUE ME FOR ME AND THEY
RE ABOUT
MY NEEDS AND CAREER
>>
IN 1990 52 FRIENDS
SET OUT TO
COVERAGE
WITH
NO LONG-TERM
CONTRACTS, AGE AND
100% SUPPORT,
CELLULAR
, FOR YOUR
>>
THE JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, COMMITTED
JUST, VERDANT
ORLD. MORE INFORMATION
AT
AND WITH THE
ONGOING SUPPORT OF STITUTIONS.
?
>> THIS
PROGRAM WAS
MADE ATION FOR
CONTRIBUTIONS T
O YOUR PBS WERS
LIKE YOU.
?
[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE,
WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS
CY.
?
>> Program support for PBS Wiscon
sin
is provided by...
Legacy Private Trust Company
is dedicated to helping clients
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rsonalized wealth management,
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rvices
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US.
More at lptrust.com.
[excited chatter]
[upbeat music]
[horse neighs]
[goat bleats]
[sheep baas]
- Jerry Apps: Now, coming into
the fair as a kid,
the sounds that I enjoyed...
[cow moos, rooster calls, chicke
n clucks]
Oh, my gosh!
I'm back home again with all of
these sounds.
[cow moos]
All those animal sounds
were mixed with the sounds at t
he midway,
the sounds of the gasoline engi
nes running the rides,
and, of course, the sounds of p
eople playing the games
and winning and losing.
[Pac-Man "game over" sound effe
ct]
As a kid, my early memories of f
airs included
all kinds of smells--
animal barns... [pig grunts]
the smells of food cooking.
[sizzling]
The sounds and the smells are
forever embedded in my memory.
Those memories come back to me
every time I visit a county fai
r.
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
- Announcer: Funding fornJerry Apps
: Meet Us at the Fair
is provided by the Wooden Nicke
l Fund,
Greg and Carol Griffin,
Elizabeth Olson,
the Stanley J. Cottrill Fund,
donors to the Focus Fund for Wisc
onsin Programs,
and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
- Ticket Agent: There you go,
thank you.
Have a good one.
Hello.
- Jerry: Fairs are one of those
institutions
that have become traditional.
That's not to suggest that they
haven't changed.
The fact that they have changed
is one of the reasons that the
y continue.
Fairs also brought people together
from all over a county,
and sometimes it was only at the
fair
that they got to meet certain
people.
And so, they looked forward to
it,
because they knew that Mable an
d John were going to be there
with their kids.
So the fair had a lot going fo
r them
that wasn't immediately obvious,
but once you became acquainted
with a fair,
you knew that it was gonna--
It was attracting people and contin
ues to.
- Sadie Goettl: I have visited
roughly
ten county fairs this year,
and love every single one of t
hem.
I think they're important in com
munities
to bring all of our agricultural
communities together,
but also the people who aren't
as far in the ag community
as other people, and just bringing
people together
and celebrating a very Wisconsi
n tradition.
- Donna Meier: It promotes comm
unity
between the rural segment of our
county
and the urban areas
so people can come and see the
people
that actually produce, you know,
some of their food.
- Guy Dutcher: To see what happ
ens when wonderful people
all pull together and give of th
emselves
and celebrate rural living and wh
at we have to offer
in life here in central Waushar
a County.
- Heidi Hensel-Buntrock: My siste
r would always say,
as she goes from one end to the o
ther,
it might take her two hours, whic
h is probably
only a two or three-minute walk, bu
t you end up connecting
with people who you have not se
en for the last year.
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
[birds chirp]
- The idea of a fair, which was
a religious institution,
as well as a place for business
people
to sell their wares,
it moved to northern Europe, wher
e it morphed
into an agricultural fair
as well as business and religi
on.
Those northern Europeans who ca
me to this country in droves
brought with them the idea of a
fair.
So the very first fair in the
United States was in 1807,
when Elkanah Watson of Pittsfi
eld, Massachusetts
displayed his two Merino sheep
in the town square.
Can you believe the first fair
included two sheep, period?
That was it! [sheep baas]
Nobody had seen a Merino sheep
before, apparently.
And so, they all came to see thes
e two sheep.
["Call to Post" playing]
- Race Announcer: And they are..
.
- Jerry: And that's characterist
ic of a fair.
People often will come to the f
air.
They go, "I've never seen that
before.
"I just saw that advertised.
I'm going to come and see that."
- Race Announcer: Come on down..
.
[crowd cheering]
- Jerry: In Wisconsin, the very
first fair was in Waukesha
in 1842, and it had cattle, ho
rses, sheep, hogs,
and a plowing contest.
[harnesses rattle]
These early fairs only had men
participating as exhibitors.
Women were not allowed,
and that didn't happen until 18
84.
Let's invite women to bring th
e domestic products
associated with farm women.
And then somewhat later, somebody
said, "Well, you know,
maybe the kids have something
to share here as well."
[bright acoustic guitar music]
The whole idea was to prepare
kids to be better farmers
and to prepare girls to be better
farm women.
Farmers learned about how to i
ntegrate crops grown
along with the animals that the
y had.
And that's where the fair took
that little bit of a twist
beyond just production agricul
ture,
realizing that farming is a way
of life
and to make that life better,
here are some things that you mig
ht consider.
[mellow acoustic music]
[chickens cluck]
[cow moos]
The fair was sort of the pinnacle
of the year,
always, for the 4-H members
because they got to show their ca
lves.
It's very interesting because
it's hard to put into words
the kind of relationship that dev
elops
between an animal and a person,
when you are preparing it for
the county fair, for example.
It doesn't matter if it's a hog
or a beef animal,
but especially those animals that
were taught to lead,
you develop a very special rela
tionship.
They come to respect you, you come
to respect them.
[cows moo]
- Aubrey'Anna Sims: I'm show
ing my steer.
His name's Teddy, and I've been
working with him about a year.
I teach him not to kick it
when I touch his feet with a s
how stick.
For him to move his feet, for him
to walk,
for him to not, like, kick peopl
e or anything,
those are some of the things I
have to teach him.
And he's really fun to work wi
th.
- Dale Meyer: Since I was about
eight years old,
I started in 4-H at age nine.
I had Guernsey cattle, and I sh
owed here at the barn,
and you got to pick out the be
st cattle in the herd.
If you're gonna bring a calf t
o the fair,
you better lead it a few weeks
before the fair
so that it gets to know how to
be led.
As most calves are stubborn,
well, you gotta work with the cat
tle.
[sheep baa]
- Jonathan Kraker: In the last
two years,
I've started to show animals.
I've really enjoyed that and lear
ned a lot.
Like, this year, I showed sheep
for the first time.
[sheep baas]
I bought them in May, and so,
I had to go pick them out,
pick a really nice lamb out.
I started working with them ever
y day
pretty much right from the begin
ning.
You start by halter breaking th
em, walking them,
and getting them to brace.
Getting them ready for fair was
fun.
It was a great learning experi
ence.
I had a great mentor.
I was really happy how I did th
is year.
For my first year, I felt pretty
good about how I did.
[cow moos]
- Jerry: When I was 11 years o
ld, I was in 4-H
and showing cattle at the fair.
I first had to select a calf,
and I talked this over with my
dad
because he'd had this experience,
showing at the fair previously.
He said, "You know what, Jerry?
Why don't you select this littl
e bull calf?"
It was born during a huge snowsto
rm.
I named him Stormy.
And so, as soon as the little
calf was, I don't know,
a month or two old, I began--
It was my dad's instruction.
"You need to teach little Stormy
how to lead."
Now, Stormy was the most bullhead
ed bull you'd ever met.
He did not want to learn how to l
ead.
He did not want to learn how to d
o anything.
He had his mind made up that
he was gonna do what he wanted
to do,
and most of the time, he did t
hat.
Now, I'm just a little shaver an
d I'm saying to my dad,
"This calf is not going to lea
rn how to lead.
"Well, I'm gonna quit doing th
is.
I'm gonna drop out."
He says, "Come on, now, be pat
ient.
It just takes patience when yo
u're working with an animal."
And so, I kept at it.
So, I'm now slowly, oh, ever s
o slowly,
he's learning how to lead.
By the time July rolled around
and we're getting ready for th
e fair,
I mean, he's a big animal now,
but he has learned how to lead.
And so, now I'm at the Waushara
County Fair.
When I arrive early at the barn,
I check to make sure that Stormy
has water and has feed.
I would brush him down
so there was not a speck of dirt on
him anywhere.
And Stormy, he's as nervous as I
am.
I tied him up in the stall at t
he fair.
And I said, "Stormy, it's going
to be all right."
Why would I say such a dumb thing
to this animal
that gave me all this grief?
But we'd now developed this rel
ationship.
And the next day or in the show r
ing
are all these other bulls,
and they're all kind of acting
up and jumping around
and doing this and that and th
e other thing.
And my little Stormy is behaving
himself.
And so, I get a blue ribbon.
So that first year working with
Stormy, I will never forget.
I learned so much.
But what you are learning is pat
ience,
and you are learning how to rel
ate to an animal
in a very special way, and then,
I suspect, joy,
just the wonderful feeling of, "W
e did it together,
Stormy and I."
There's joy into that.
- Charles Brewer: We showed at
the Walworth County Fair
years ago, and we showed Guernsey c
attle.
And then when we had kids old en
ough,
then they started showing calves
at the fair.
They'd spend hours walking 'em
around the yard
and then washing 'em and then c
lipping 'em,
and, you know, all of that thin
g.
It was a lot of work.
[hose sprays]
Both my son and daughter working an
imals.
They respect how to treat 'em.
They did it 'cause they knew it
was the better way of doing it.
[upbeat bluegrass music]
- David Laatsch: A county fair
is all about learning
and the process of learning on
e-on-one with the student
because face-to-face judging is c
ritical in our area.
Typically, you're invited to jud
ge a fair for two years,
and then you get a couple years o
ff
and you come back,
and you see those same kids an
d how much they've grown
in those years since you first me
t them.
And it's very rewarding to be
able to see the growth
from one year to the next.
I've been raising poultry all my
life,
and then I started judging at v
arious county fairs
across the state.
[chicken clucks]
- Makenzie Milestone: I have 1
7 birds here
at the fair today.
[chickens cluck]
When I show it, we bring them
up to the judge,
and the judge places them in a lin
e
of first to last on who he thinks
is
the best of the category.
- David: We judge the birds
according to the standard of perf
ection,
which is established by the Am
erican Poultry Association,
and in doing so, every bird is ev
aluated
on its point value.
- If you are a champion,
which means, like, you're the bes
t.
Reserve champion is, like, you'
re the second best.
- David: And then when it comes
down
to picking the champions, it's a
lways a small difference
between the top bird and the rest
of the birds
that you've picked out for your c
hampion prize.
- Makenzie: I've gotten a couple
of reserve champions
for poultry today.
I actually got three champions an
d two reserve.
- David: To me, that is as exciti
ng as judging a steer show
and having the grand champion ste
er
or the grand champion dairy an
imal.
And that's because to me,
that project is as important to
that youth
as it is if it was the champion
dairy cow in the dairy show.
- I feel so excited and proud
of my work.
- When I became an extension a
gent in '57,
working at the Green Lake Count
y Fair,
the extension agents were often
selected
depending on their training and
background to be fair judges,
and I was one.
My specialty happened to be be
ef, sheep, and hogs.
And people look at me now.
"You mean you judged beef, sheep,
and hogs?"
Well, that's what I did for 10
years.
- Judge: To be completely honest,
he's a little...
- Jerry: Being a judge is a very
interesting job,
especially when you're judging
animals, as I did.
And it's so fun to see the reac
tions of kids
letting their emotions show you
how they accepted your judgment.
- Judge: First off, my complim
ents to you.
You've done an absolutely outs
tanding job.
[gentle acoustic music]
[steer moos]
- My dad, who, when he was in h
is 20s and newly married,
showed at the Waushara County
Fair.
And I asked him one time--
I interviewed him when he was in
his 80s.
"Well, why did you go to the f
air?"
He said, "Well, I had a chance
"to compare my cattle with Joe
's cattle,
"but I also had a chance
to meet farmers that I only saw
once a year."
And he said it was the most wo
nderful thing in the world.
I said, "Where did you sleep?"
"Well, I slept on a load of hay
I brought along to feed the co
ws."
So he said, "I loved it."
And I said, "Gee, that sounds k
ind of primitive."
"It wasn't," he said, "because I
had all these farmers,
"I only saw most of them once a y
ear,
"and we just had more stories
to tell each other
"than you could imagine,
"and we had this great competi
tion.
"Now, is my cow better than you
r cow?
"Oh, who knows?
Well, we're gonna have 'em judged
."
He just thought that stuff was
fantastic.
Along the way, he was learning ho
w to breed better dairy cattle
without realizing it, because
he would see
what this other farmer was doin
g.
And, "What bulls have you used
to be specific in your herd?"
"Oh, I'll tell you."
So it got to be his university,
so to speak.
It's how he learned to improve
his dairy herd.
He couldn't speak enough about it
, how wonderful it was.
Why do we need a fair anymore?
[gentle music]
It's a place for those who know l
ittle
about where their food comes f
rom,
to learn about it without realiz
ing they are learning it.
It's all very subtle
and with entertainment as a part
of it.
[gentle music]
Fairs go way beyond just somet
hing for farmers.
[cow moos]
Fairs are one way
of helping bring rural and urba
n America together.
It happens automatically.
That's the natural way of comin
g together,
and fairs allow for that.
[children speaking excitedly]
Hi, I'm Jon Miskowski, director of
PBS Wisconsin and so
happy toshare
this show with
you. I'vebeen
in the works
for quite a while and to get
Jerry's memories
and other
folks memories
of this
wonderful tradition of fairs
all over
Wisconsin. I think
all of ushave these
wonderful memories,
wonderful experiences,
and Jerry
is kind of leading
us throughthat history
of the fair.
Andthat experience.
And this is
just a really
wonderful memories.
And also
an opportunity, as Jerry likes
todo, is
share stories. So
he haswritten a book, Meet
Me on the
midway, which is really
the inspiration
for this program.
We'll talk a little bit moreabout
how you can
support PBSWisconsin
have a chance
toreceive this book
and learn more
about fairs
in Wisconsin, including
fairs, and no doubt
inyour area.
This is
easy tobecome
a member
and support
with your phone call
at (800) 236-3636.
Thanks, John.That's right. And when.>> You
do call and pledge yourgift of support
to one of our great volunteers who's waiting
for your phone call right now at
one (800) 236-3636. We've got a number
of great thank you giftsthat will help
you share those fair
memories and share the memories that you're
creatingthis evening with
this wonderful
program, starting at the $10 amonth level,
we will send you
your choice. Either the
programDVD of the show that
you're watching tonight. Jerry
at JerryApps. Meet us at
the fair, or
Jerry's book, Meet Me on
themidway, which John was just
referencing, which is the
history of fairs
here inWisconsin
from all over the
state. That's
at the $10 level.
And like we
said, your choice.
Now, that's a tough choice tomake.
So if you can't
make thechoice at the $15
level will send you the
DVD and
the bookthat's at
the $15 a month
sustaining level.
And then atthe
$25 a month
level, we've
gotwhat I like to call a
fairly big
Jerry Apps collection. You get
seven of our great
Jerry Apps DVDs,
all of the
programs thathe
has created with
us over thepast
decade here
on PBSWisconsin. You get
the Meet Meon
the midway book, and you alsoget the
old Farm CountryCookbook, which Jerry
and his daughter
Susan wrote
a couple of
years ago, and which
there's a
program based on that as well.So why don't you
call right now,pledge your support. Let us know
how much you appreciate these great programs with
Jerry, thesegreat memories. One(800) 236-3636.
>> Hi. I'm Aimee
Granger I'm amember of the
staff here at PBSWisconsin. I'v e
had the very
special experience of
getting toenjoy Jerry's
programs with
audiences all
around the state. And
the most special
part of that
is to see the smiles
aspeople have their own
memories of
being part of
the fair. Attending the
fair, being
partof Four-h, and
all of the
experiences that we're seeing onthe program,
which is just so
lovely. And so it's programslike this that
are so meaningful
,and there's
really nothing
like Jerry Apps. So if
this reallytouches your
heart or sparks a
great memory and you want
tosupport programs like this on
PBS Wisconsin, please feel free
to give us a call
at one(800) 236-3636, become a
sustainer and pledge your support.
>> Well, thanks
for your
call to(800) 236-3636. I had
a chance acouple
weeks ago
to sit downwith Jerry to
talk about his inspiration
for this book,
so stay
with us, give us
a call,listen
to Jerry right
now. Whatwas the inspiration
for this book?
>> Well, somehow
I've wanted
towrite this
book for a long time
because I remember
way back when
I was probably
three years old,
my dad,
who always
loved fairs
and he
showed cattle at
fairs way
back in the
1920s. And
he dragged
me off to the
WitscherCounty Fair
and to make it
feel better
for me. He
bought me
a chocolate
candy bar,
and it
was in the
80s at least, that
hot. And
I'm standing
holding my
dad's hand
with one, and theother
one had this
chocolate
bar, and it's
melting. And
I said, what
am I doinghere? But I
didn't say anythingbecause my dad
said, now youwant
to watch those cattle
goingin and I
didn't want to watch
these cattle. I wanted to get inthe
shade someplace. So that first memory was
not thegreatest
memory .>> Fine. You are on.
>> Thanks. When you
pledge your call right now,
one (800) 236-3636, you can get that
book that Jerry was talkingabout. His
inspiration forwriting.
That's Meet Me
on themidway,
A History of
Wisconsin's Fairs.
Great , great
trip through
all of the history of
county fairs
and the state fair
here inWisconsin, and the
wonderfulmemories that you're enjoying
inthis program tonight,
and thatyou can
get that at the $10level, or you
get your choice.If you'd rather
get the DVD
ofthe program that you're wat chingthis
evening. Jerry Apps meet usat the
fair. That's also at the
$10 a month level. And if you
can't decide , because who
coulddecide between those two greatthank you
gifts at the $15 amonth level? We'll
send you boththe book and the DVD that'
s atthe $15 a month sustaining level
at one (800) 236-3636,
if you'd like, at
the $25 level and
you're a Jerry Apps
super fan,we've got
a great collection of
seven Jerry Apps DVDs, all of
the programs that
he's worked with us
here on PBS Wisconsin tomake
memories of
his own
family's food
and memories.
Lifeon the
farm, life in
the oneroom schoolhouse,
all of the great
Jerry Apps programs
thatyou've come to love.
You get the
book as well. Meet
me at the Onthe
Midway and the Old Farm
Country Cookbook. That's at the
$20 a month
level. And ofcourse, at
any of these levels,we'll also send y
ou a subscription
to "Airwaves" magazine so you never
miss thenext great program.
Like this.The next great local
programthat you're pledging your
support for tonight
at one(800) 236-3636.
>> That's right. It's nice tohear the
phones ringing. And ourwonderful volun
teers in the studio
helping out this evening.
They're great
to talk to. Feel
free to give them a call. Or you
can go online atpbswisconsin.org and ple
dge your support of
any level as asustainer, as a
one time gift,
there's lots of
ways to give andshow
your support. And like Eric said,
"Airwaves" magazine,
every single
month you can
find allyour
favorite programs,
don't miss
anything, and
there's also
interviews , behind
the scenes information,
all the ways
that PBS Wisconsin
engages with the community. When you give
us acall, one (800) 236-3636.>> We want
to also
thank theWisconsin Historical
Society Press,
our partners
in this program and the publishers
ofthis wonderful book by
JerryApps. Here's
Jerry talking a
little bit about
why these fairs continue
to be important.>> The little
kids from the city, they
get to see a littlelamb
and a pet, a
lamb, and they
see a cow
and they see
a goose
or a turkey
and say, what
is that
anyway? It
has a marvelous
purpose today.
So when you
say to
me, well, you're talking
about something that's historical
and it's kind of interesting,
but it's going away. It's
not it should not
go away.
It has a
very important
place in our
society. No matterif
you live in Madison, Wisconsin,
Chicago, Illinois, or
wild Rose,
Wisconsin. >> So great
to hear
Jerry againand this
wonderful show. An
experience that so many
of usshare. For me,
it was the central
Wisconsin Fair.
I have
maybe I have a chance
to talkabout this later, but
my greatest
day of my
life as a
boy, that
in fact, I
wasremembering that
I shared it at
my parents
60th wedding
anniversary party,
which I thinktells
a lot about my
parents,but it just a reminder of
what a magical
place those
fairs are all
over the state, and
then we want to
also acknowledge the
people who put the
work in. And this show
really celebrates that.
When you pledge,
yousupport public television,
that community spirit that
we engender
every day, the
phonenumber to call
is (800) 236-3636.
>> We're about to go back to
theprogram, but there's still timefor you
to call and get thosegreat
thank you gifts. One(800) 236-36 36 is the
number atthe
$10 level. Just a
quick reminder
at the $10 monthlylevel
, we'll send you
Jerry'sbook. Meet me on the midway,which is the
basis for this
program, or your choice
of theDVD. If
you can't choose between
the DVD or the book,
give it the $15 a
month level and we'll sendyou that. And then, of course,at the
$25 a month level,
we'vegot the great package of s evenJerry Apps
DVDs and the twobooks, Meet Me on the Midway andOld
Farm Country Cookbook. We'reabout
to go back to the
program.Our volunteers, they'll want tohear
from you. So won't you call
one (800) 236-3636 is the number to call.
Pledge your
support.You can also go online at
pbswisconsin.org .[MUSIC]
>> Now railroad
bill , railroad
[upbeat acoustic guitar music]
What makes a fair a fair?
The exhibits.
People who bring their cattle,
they bring their woodworking,
their canning and cooking and al
l that.
So, it's the judging, learning.
The educational component of the
fair is still there.
Fairs in the upper Midwest
run generally from early July un
til September,
and it reflects the harvest time
,
when the crops are ready to harve
st,
so that those exhibits then can
be brought to the fair
because they are ready.
The implement dealers would
be at the fair,
showing off their new equipment,
and, of course, the entertainm
ent dimension.
And not to forget...
[child shrieks]
...the rides, the midway, the
foods.
All of those are essential comp
onents of a fair.
And each one in its own way attr
acts people.
So, the fairs do a lot of differe
nt things.
[kids cheer and yell]
[jaunty music]
- Film Narrator: A fair reflects
the products and activities
of the region.
Local people take pride in their
grounds.
- Jerry: Over the years, the chal
lenges that fairs face
reflect the challenges that the
society in general was facing.
For instance, during the Depre
ssion years.
It was a tough time for everyb
ody.
Farm prices were terrible, peop
le were unemployed,
so they didn't have any money to
come to fairs
and that sort of thing.
So that was a problem.
And World War II, of course, su
cked away
all of the young men to war, ma
ny of 'em, anyway.
And then, of course, right after
World War II was polio.
Polio was everywhere.
Especially here in Wisconsin fr
om '45-'55,
thousands of young men and women
had polio.
And fairs suffered because some
of 'em just shut down.
"We can't operate with this."
And then more recently, we're al
l aware of COVID
and how it shut down everything.
Individual fairs, of course,
suffered from fires, tornadoes,
bad weather.
If your fair has run three days
and every day it rains,
you're going to suffer
because the crowds are not goin
g to be there.
By and large, the fair, as the
years passed
and as they've faced the challeng
es, they've survived.
It makes for a fascinating histor
y.
[bright acoustic guitar music]
A fair is really built on volun
teers.
The volunteers do everything from
parking cars
to helping with the judging, fr
om running the food tents
to helping kids get to their d
ormitory,
if there's a dormitory at the f
airgrounds.
- Attendee: Thank you so much.
- Jerry: Volunteers were at the g
ate selling tickets.
Most of the volunteers just lo
ve what they're doing, too.
They have just a whale of a goo
d time.
- Barbara George: Because we've
been involved here for so long,
you know the grandparents and th
e parents
of these young kids that come
up.
And I really enjoy talking to t
he people.
The whole fair runs on volunte
ers.
It's great fun, and I think we
feel good
about giving back to the community
.
- County fair is the focus of the
entire summer
for a community, particularly
our agricultural community.
Whether it's recreation, entertai
nment,
it's all of those things that
happen at the county fair.
[crowd cheers]
And it's all put on by, for th
e most part, volunteers,
who really love their community,
love the kids,
love the activities of a fair
and do it because they remember
what it was like for them
as a kid going to the fair.
[polka music]
- Charles: You know, and then y
ou get to catch up
on their families.
And being small like this,
it kind of helps keep the comm
unity together.
[indistinct conversation]
- Guy: We call it our fair family,
and there are probably well nor
th of 100 folks
who compose our fair family th
at all come together,
that put this on, and that's wh
at makes it special.
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
- Jerry: When I was 12 years old
and in 4-H,
and I always loved forestry.
And one of the exhibits at the
fair was
to collect 20 different little
pieces of wood
representing 20 different kinds
of trees.
That's how I learned to identif
y a red pine,
a white pine, a black oak, and
so on.
Twenty different ones.
Hang those things on a board,
and that became your exhibit at
the fair.
- I did some projects, I did pi
ctures, sewing.
- Painting. - Woodworking.
- Flowers and houseplants. - Re
cycling, knitting.
- Photography. - Crocheting.
- Crops. - Cake decorating!
- Gracelynn Schultz: Tomato, je
lly,
and a whole bunch more.
It's hard to name 'em all.
- Mazi Dossa: This is my first
year.
I did pretty good, I'm not even
gonna lie.
I didn't know what to expect, so
, I thought it was pretty fun.
My friend Mary influenced me be
cause she was like,
"It's so fun, you should do it!"
So I was like, "Okay, I guess I
'll try it."
I've been going to the fair for,
like, ever,
and I'd see all these projects,
I'm like, "Oh, my gosh.
Wish I could do that, but, lik
e, I don't know how."
So, I was like, "Why not do it
myself?"
So, I did a watercolor painting
of a whole bunch of popsicles
'cause it looked pretty cool,
and then I did a painting of fl
owers.
I think I got first place in all of
'em except one of 'em,
but that's okay, because I know
my mistakes
and I can change it for next y
ear.
- Leah Rivera: I like that I ca
n do what projects I want.
I can choose what projects I can
do,
and I can do 'em how I would li
ke to do it.
Well, I have made a vegan strawb
erry pie,
and then I got a Grand Champion
on it.
And then I have Clothing Review.
I made a skirt and a shirt.
The fabric is from Mexico,
and I'm making that because I'm
part Mexican.
My dad's from Mexico, so I dec
ided to, for this year,
I'm gonna do where I come from.
- Sadie: You know, I love seeing
all the hard work the kids put
into all of their projects.
They truly are the backbone of
the county fairs,
and I love seeing all their hard
work pay off and what they do.
- Jerry: One of the purposes of
the fair,
which has been true for many dec
ades,
it's an educational event.
It allows people, youngsters an
d oldsters alike,
to see how what they have made s
tacks up
with what somebody else has done
.
- Bill Deppe: I've entered som
ething
in the fair every year.
After I got out of 4-H, I star
ted entering
in open class, and I just enjoy
the little bit of a competition
it is,
and just to see how my stuff wi
ll do
compared to everybody else's ac
ross the county.
I brought some crops, and I got
a third and a fourth on that.
And then my wife brought some zuc
chini bread
and some blueberry rhubarb bread,
and she got blue on both of those.
She was flying pretty high yest
erday, so...
- Eunice Yanke: I've seen a lo
t of changes
in the number of articles that c
ome in,
and the exhibitors have aged.
We have got some nice elderly exhib
itors,
but I had fun this year.
My dinner rolls are champion
of the open class baking departm
ent.
The judge was so cute,
and she wanted to eat one of the
dinner rolls.
I said, "Well, take it."
"No, no, I can't do it," she said.
- Jerry: As society has changed,
the kind of exhibits has change
d.
When I was first in 4-H, there wa
s no such thing
as a photography exhibit, for ex
ample.
Well, soon there was.
And there was no such thing as
a computer-related exhibit.
Well, today, there are such thi
ngs.
So the exhibits have changed as
society has changed.
- Forrest Boocher: I entered,
like, just like woodworking.
It is a U.S. quarter map,
but each state is its own state
wood.
What I learned-- how to be persev
erant
through my projects and to be
flexible,
which is kind of hard with me. [l
aughs]
I just enjoy showing projects
and all, like, the friendships.
I've had a lot of memories at t
his show.
- Gwendolyn Mahoney: I am showi
ng flowers
and houseplants, cultural art,
photography,
cake decorating, home environment.
I have a project in communication
s this year
and self-determined, and then
I also have swine and natural sc
iences.
And then I'm superintendent of
flowers and houseplants
and I'm chairperson of knittin
g and crocheting.
I've been in 4-H for 10 years.
I just did the math this morni
ng.
And I enjoy 4-H because it giv
es kids opportunities
to demonstrate what they've been
working on all year.
Oftentimes kids make projects,
yes,
for their parents and for differ
ent friends and stuff,
but they don't get a chance to
display it in public
and show everyone what they've
been working on
and putting all their energy in
to, and there's many
different areas that you can do
things in.
So you can do everything from ind
oor archery to animals.
If you like to do woodworking, yo
u can do that.
So there's areas for everything,
which makes it open to anyone.
- What's that called when they
get an injury
on the bottom of their foot?
- Barbara: And these kids learn
so much here.
It's just a great way for them
to exhibit what they've done
all year long and get a little
bit of recognition,
and I love to see the smiles wh
en these kids come
and we quiz 'em a little bit ab
out what they're doing here.
The smiles are so big.
It just melts my heart.
- Jerry: When I would judge wh
atever it was I was doing,
I would take time to explain
why I was making the decisions I
was making,
no matter if it was photograph
y
or garden produce or an animal.
That's part of the educational
dimension
to the fair is the judge becomes
a teacher of sorts.
Not only is he or she
responsible for selecting qualit
y over less quality,
but needs to be able to explain
why.
You just don't do it because,
well, that's the way it is.
You can't answer that way.
You're required to explain in s
ome depth
what we're looking for.
What is a quality beef animal?
What's a quality cucumber?
What's a quality green bean?
That sounds silly,
but that's one of the requiremen
ts of a judge.
I was judging vegetables at a fai
r.
I don't know, maybe it was the
Adams County Fair,
I don't know which one it was,
and I'm judging this cabbage, it
's a beautiful cabbage,
and I tipped the cabbage over on th
e stem.
It says, "29," which means this
kid bought this cabbage
at the grocery store. [laughs]
And so, I had to reject it
because it's, he didn't grow i
t, obviously.
That did not go over well with the
parents either,
but they knew that they had bee
n caught.
So they really didn't say very m
uch.
But the kid really caught it be
cause you just don't do that.
That's one of the things that's l
earned the hard way.
The judge pointing out to this
youngster,
cheating is not a part of what
we do.
Gotta be honest.
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
And it was in 1914 that the fe
deral government passed a law
called the Smith-Lever Act, and
that created
Cooperative Extension, and Cooper
ative Extension
provided funds to states and coun
ties for 4-H,
agriculture, and family living.
The federal government realized
that it was necessary
for agriculture to continue to
improve,
and that's why they passed that
law.
The Smith-Hughes Act was adopte
d in 1917,
and it provided funds to the h
igh schools
of the nation to provide agricult
ural and other kinds
of vocational education.
That was the beginning of the
Future Farmers of America.
They grew out of that high schoo
l agriculture.
They, the FFA, also were prominen
tly involved in fairs.
And we shouldn't forget that.
- Carolyn Meyer: I joined 4-H
when I was about 10 years old.
I'm the oldest of five children.
We were a farm family.
4-H was our social activity, an
d so,
the fair was a really big deal.
One of the projects that I did
was sewing.
It was the first time learning
how to use a sewing machine
and even threading needles, you
know,
something really basic, and 4-
H was my first experience
with public speaking.
Being a shy kid, that was a big s
tep.
If it wasn't for 4-H,
I don't think there would be co
unty fairs.
- I'm in the Waunakee Whirlwinds
Club,
and this is my second year in 4
-H.
I like how interactive it is.
I just like being around my frien
ds.
I love making new friends
and I've done that here, and it's
really fun.
- I'm in the Kegonsa Hustlers 4
-H club.
This is my fifth year.
I like that there's so many op
portunities to do everything.
So I get to show at the fair.
There's so many community servic
e opportunities too.
There's lots of new friends.
We meet so many people.
- I was a summer 4-H agent back i
n 1972,
and my husband was a very young fa
ir board member.
So we met working at this fair.
One of the life skills that 4-H t
eaches
is making new friends, and thes
e are lifelong friends.
There are so many people that come
that I only see at the fair.
- Mary Arndt: We call 'em fair f
riends.
[sheep baa]
- I started 4-H, like, when I w
as in kindergarten,
like the first moment, then I s
tarted.
My sister was already in it, an
d then they brought me in.
This is, like, a great opportun
ity for me.
I've grown my friendships a whol
e lot,
and we can really bond together w
ith each other.
- Bill: When I come here to the f
air now, I see
so many people that I've met ov
er the years and through 4-H
and it's just been-- it's been
a great experience.
I just enjoy working with the
kids and watching them grow
from these shy, little kids to
these
confident young men and young
women, and when they invite me
to a graduation party or their w
edding,
or they'll send me a card, you kn
ow,
that's what keeps me coming bac
k.
Sorry, I'm getting a little emo
tional,
but this is very important to me.
- Jerry: In 1946, right after th
e war ended,
and my dad knew the county age
nt in Wautoma,
and he had said to the county
agricultural agent,
"You know, we ought to start a
4-H club
out in our school district."
And so, all of the kids in our
one-room country school,
we all got together one evening,
and he's up in the front now an
d he's telling us about 4-H.
And I knew a little bit about it
because I attended the fair al
ong the way,
but I wanted, oh, I thought it w
ould be so wonderful
to be a 4-H member, because no
w I could
take a calf to the fair.
And I could be one of those wh
o led the calf in a circle,
and I could stay overnight, fo
r heaven's sakes.
Well, I didn't know where in t
he world
we were gonna stay overnight.
As it turned out, we bought an
old, used army tent,
and we stayed in this old tent.
I was a 4-H member for 10 years
, and I remember--
I remember that so well.
The 4-H members were my very cl
ose friends.
We competed with each other, bu
t we all,
we also helped each other.
We got to know some new friends, bu
t it was like a family.
It was a wonderful institution
then and still is.
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
.
Miskowski,director of PBS
Wisconsin, andwe're
watching. Meet us
at the fair.
Inspired by Jerry Appsbook, Meet Me
on the midway,
I'm holding the book
open to the
central Wisconsin
Fair because
that's I
have this
great memory
of going
on a day
where it was
just absolutely
pouring rain.
As we
approach the fair
and aspeople were kind of run ning out,
I remember my parents saying,well, we're not
leaving. And
itwas like the
greatest day of my life as a little
boy. It had
everything a fair
had and it had
rain and it had
puddles . That
is everything.
Everything you need.
This program inspires so many
great memories
for all of us,
and how
important the fairs are
,and the recognition
of how much
work and heart
that people
across the state
put into it.Please
call us with your support
at (800) 236-3636.
And this
is a really good reason to call.
Thisis a challenge
break, meaning
that your dollars are
doubledwhen you call right now
. Membersof PBS Wisconsin
have made aspecial gift
above and beyondtheir annual
support tochallenge and double
your gift for
new members. Right now
at (800) 236-3636.
And our goal is to get to 50
calls. So why don't
you be the next one at
(800) 236-3636? That's
right.>> And when you call right now,
not only is the value of your
gift doubled due to this greatmember
challenge at one (800) 236-3636, but you still
get the great thank you giftsthat we
have available as well.
So as John was
mentioning this
at the $10
monthly level,
we'llsend you
Jerry's book, Meet Me
on the
midway, which is the bookthat inspired
the program thatyou're watching this evening.You
get to choose either thebook
or the program DVD. Meet
usat the fair.
That's at the $10level. If you
can't choosebecause it's too tou gh
at the $15 level,
we'll send you boththe book
and the DVD, and if
youwere able to give at the $25 a
month level, your gift
is doubled
right now and you
getthis wonderful thank you
collection of seven Jerry Apps
DVDs, all of the programs
thathe has made with us
over the past
decade, filled withmemories from the
farm, from the
fair, from the
kitchen, from his
one room schoolhouse, as well
as both the
Meet Me on the
midway book
and the Old
Farm Country
Cookbook. And of course,
your gift
is doubled right now during
this challenge break. So callright now.
One (800) 236-3636. >> Hi I'm
Aimee Granger it's
wonderful to hear the
phones ringing and
your support
of Jerry Apps
programs. It's
because of you that
we can continue to create these
amazing programs that
bring backmemories and
great feelings
and just
beautiful views
of the
farms and the animals
and the
fairs that we
all remember forgenerations of, of
childhood. This is a really special
ogram, and it's nice to seepeop le's
eyes light up as they
view them. It's because of you that we
can continue to create
this type of programing. Whenyou bec
ome a
sustainer and
give each
and every month
your support
endures at
one(800) 236-3636. >> Thanks.
It's great to hear
the call. Remember, your dollarsare
doubled when you call rightnow
. Jerry, when we got
together, took a
chance, took
that opportunity
to tell us a
little bit about what
the book is
about. So
take a listen.
>> Okay. >> I'm here again
with JerryApps. Jerry,
tell us about the
book and what's in the
book. What readers have
to look forward
to. >> Okay.
Well, one of
the thingsthat
I do with most of
my books,
because I love history,
I write
history, I
study history,
I first
ask, what's
the history of
fairs? Not just
in the United
States, but in the world.
Where did
the idea
of a fair get
started? We go
back to the
Roman Empire.
Interestingly enough, and some
of the very
first fairs
had nothing
to do with agriculture, nothing
to do with
judging or anything
like that,had
everything to do
with religion
and business
. Various Business, Badgers,
and Beyond businesses came
together at a fair
to sell their
things, andthat
usually it
was a religiousevent
. Adventure is the
right word
. At the
same time, the
Romans took the
idea of a fair
north with them
to Northern Europe,
to Germany and England
and those countries and
those countries,
those persons
broughtthat idea
to this
country. So Iam
fascinated with
the idea
of how did the
fair get
started. Sothat's the early
part of the
book. Then I
thought it would
be useful
to maybe pick
up the
history of a few county
fairs. I
ended up picking up
the historyof every
one of them I
could find some of
our short,
but they are
fantastically interesting.
>> Jerry is
our chief
storyteller, but I know that it's
inspiring stories
that youwould
want to share. So
havingthe book, having the
DVD is a
really wonderful
opportunity tobegin to have
conversations inyour family
about your
own history
and your own
life, and
what the fair
has meant
to you.Phone number
to call is on the
screen one (800) 236-3636.
That's so great
to hear.
>> Jerry talk about.
The processthat he used to write
this book. And
as you're watching
tonight, you're seeing a
lot of that
history. Part
of the
fairs across the
state, how
fairs were developed.
And then
when you getinto
the book, which you can getat the
$10 monthly level at
one(800) 236-3636, as Jerry mentioned, you're going to
beable to go in and find your
fair, the fair that you grew u pattending.
For me, it was
theRacine County Fair. I've learnedso much.
It's a fair that datesback to 1850
and just the entire
history of the
local fair,
alongwith how it fits
within thestate culture
of fairs. It's a
wonderful book. And of course, right now your gift
is doubledwhen you
give at the $10 a monthlevel, you
get the book, or youget to choose
the DVD, or at the$15 a
month level, we'll sendyou
both the book and the DVD soyou
can enjoy the program thatyou're
enjoying with your familytonight to
share with friendsand family, and then look
up thehistory of your local
fair inthat book at the $15 a monthlevel,
and of course, at the $25
a month level, we'll send youfor the biggest
Jerry Apps fansout there. And who
among usisn't? We'll send you the JerryApps collection
of DVDs. I call
it a fairly large collection ofDVDs, seven
of them and twobooks. The Meet Me
at the Midwaybook and the Old
Farm Country Cookbook. Call Right Now one
(800) 236-3636. >> Now's a great
time to call.Be the next caller. And
Eric just mentioned the
Old Farm Country
Cookbook. This
is such a
charming , classic
cookbook. There are
so many recipes
inhere that remind me
of my
grandmother, and that I want
toteach my daughters
to cook from,because it's just lovely.
And itfeels also like the fair.
There's just classic recipes inhere,
just beautiful.
So if
you're able to pledge
at any level this
evening, let us thank
you with some of
these gifts.And of course, "Airwaves"program gu
ide each and every month
so that you can
plan forwhat you're going to watch.You're
not going to miss programs like Jerry Apps.
Meetus at the fair.
Give us a callthis evening at
one (800) 236-3636. Or you can
goonline at pbswisconsin.org
and pledge your support
there at whatever
level feels right
toyou. And thank
you .>> Thanks. We've
had a few folks
call in with a gift of
$25 a month that includes the
book,the DVD collection, and
the cookbook.
Thank you for that.
Thank you for joining
us tonight. Here's some more
wordsfrom Jerry Apps
. I'm here with
Jerry Apps, and I just
wanted to show this
chapter heading forthe
county fair.
So I looked in
there and found Portage County.
It was important
to me to lookat that
history and see the other counties that
arehistories that are
represented here.
It's just a
wonderful celebration of
this wonderful
Wisconsin tradition.
And thank you
for joining us
, and we
appreciate your calls
and yourpledges, and
we appreciate also,Jerry,
your long support
forpublic television.
We have onething
we want
you to do, and
you've done so well
in the pastand has been, is
to ask people to
join you in giving
andsupporting public television. >> Sure
. Well, as as
John has suggested,
I have
been a supporter of public
television for many
years, and
I would
hope that you would
consider doingthat
as well.
It's one of
the most
treasured things
that we have
in this great state
of Wisconsin, and it
deserves your support. So
please, please
take some
time and
help support
public television
.>> What a wonderful statementfrom Jerry
there, and I hope
that it has inspired you
toreach to the phone right
now. One (800) 236-3636 is the
number. This is a challengebreak. So when
you call, yourgift
is doubled due to
thatmember challenge. And of coursethe
challenge also works if youscan
the QR code on
your on
your phone
or go
to pbswisconsin.organd click to support.
And when you do, you
get the great thankyou
gift starting at the $10gift $10
month level, we'll
sendyou your choice of
either thebook
Meet Me on the midway
or the
DVD of the
program that inspired
that you're watching
tonight. Meet us at
the fairJerry Apps. Meet
us at the fair.
If you can't decide at the
$15 amonth level, we'll send y ou boththe book
and the DVD. And
ifyou're a Jerry Apps super
at the
$25 a month level, we'll sendyou the
entire Jerry Appscollection.
Seven DVDs. You getthe book,
Meet Me
on the midway ,and the
Old Farm
Country Cookbook, which Aimee was
lking about
just a few minutes
ago. Call right now.
One(800) 236-3636. >> Huge
thank you to those ofyou who
have called this
eveningand pledged your support
for programs
like Jerry Apps
produces, and there's so manyways
to give, whether it's a
sustainer each and
every month,or our
members of the
Heritage Society. So
we want to reach
outand thank the members of
theHeritage Society. And if that'ssomething you're
considering, perhaps giving through your wil
l or your
trust or other
areas ofyour
estate plan,
we're here
tohelp and to appreciate your
gift of
any kind,
so we
really encourage you,
and we thankthose
members who have already
made that decision
to ensurethat programs
like this
go on for many
generations, and we'reable
to continue to produce
these programs and provide
them to the
community. So thank
youso much for those of
you whohave already
made thatcommitment, and we encourage you
to inquire if that's
somethingthat may be something you'd like
to do. If you'd
like to become a
sustainer this evening,
you can do that
very easily by
calling one (800) 236-3636.
>> It's great to
hear the phonesringing. Jerry
is home tonight
having a watch party
with his family
and Jerry. Things are
going really well
, so I
wanted to share. Jerry
shared a note
with us recently
of someone
who said
that his father
had recently
passed, and he
wanted to share
this story with
Jerry,and then Jerry
shared it with
us. Of that his
father sort of made
everybody watch
Jerry Apps show when they came
and visited,and it was such a
meaningful that
experience and the
stories that Jerry shared
were so
important. I'd have to say. Iremember
watching A farm
story with
my parents and
hearing about
their memories. I
remember sharing
with my boys and
sharing my
memories of
that connection
to the farms
that they don't have.
And it
just is a
really powerful
tool for connecting
generations. And I
know it's really
important for Jerry
andhis career
and inspiring
people to share their
stories, to write
them down,
to talk to
theirchildren and grandchildren. And
he's been a great
inspiration.So thank you, Jerry, and
thankall of
you for calling with your
support. Your
dollars are doubled.
We're about
two thirdsof the way towards our
goal, so
we've got a really good and achance
to reach our goal of 50.
Joining us with your call at (800) 236-3636.
>> When you call right now,
help us
reach that
goal. We're at 34right
now. We're trying to getto 50 by the
end of the break. And we're going to
be going backto the program soon.
Your giftis
double at one (800) 236-3636.And when
you do call we've gotthose great thank
you giftsstarting with the $10
monthly sustaining
level. We'll send you
meet me on the midway. The bookthat
Jerry wrote that we've
beentalking about this evening that
inspired the program.
The program, of
course, is
JerryApps. Meet us at the fair.
That's also available at the $10level. Your
choice. But if you can't decide, we'll make
it easyat the $15 a month level.
We'llsend you both the DVD and the
book. And of course, if
you're intrigued by this
program, thisis the first time you've
watched the Jerry Apps program,
oryou've watched all of
them andyou love them, and you
want tobe able to share them with
yourfamily at the $25 a month
level,we'll send you the
entire JerryApps collection. You get foodand
memories. You get the oneroom school, you
get the newprogram. Meet us at the
FairFarm winter a farm
story. All of
the great programs,
and you get the
two books. Meet Me on themidway
and the Old Farm Country Cookbook, a great
package. Whether
you're getting
it as agift
for someone in your
familyor something for
you to treasure and share with your family,
right now is the time
to call,though, because your pledge is
doubled at one (800) 236-3636.
>> What an incredible
outpouringof support
for this beautiful
program. It's
a it's a feel
good laugh cry.
Have the memories
type of program that
Jerry Apps
only Jerry
Apps can bring to
us.He's such an incrediblehistorian
and storyteller.
We have
just a
few more
calls tomake our
challenge. So thank you
to those of you who
have madethe call already, and weencourage
you to make your
giftgo further by being part of this
challenge right now. This evening,
you can pledge your
support online or
by calling
our friendly
volunteers who are
very busy tonight because
of thisgreat program. And
remember, not
just the thank you gifts that Eric
talked about, but
of course
"Airwaves" program guide eachand every
month tell
you a little
behind the scenes
and interviews
and of course, the
programs that are coming up eachand
every week
on PBS Wisconsin.
Again, you can give
us a call
at one (800) 236-3636
and pledgeyour
support as a
sustainer or at any
level. And
we appreciate your
generosity now
and always. Thank
you .
>> For. [upbeat steel guitar music]
The midway.
A fair would not be a fair withou
t a midway.
The midway became popular at the
Columbian Exposition
in Chicago in 1893.
It was a mile long,
and at that midway, they introduc
ed the Ferris wheel.
As you look at all the pictures,
generally speaking,
there's a Ferris wheel somewher
e in the background.
And the Ferris wheel has a fantas
tic story behind it,
because it was in 1893 at the C
olumbian Exposition
in Chicago, the World's Fair,
that the management there wanted
to have something to compete
with the Eiffel Tower in Paris,
something that was as grand
as the Eiffel Tower, and they p
ut the word out.
"Come up with something that's
better than the Eiffel Tower."
And this engineer by the name of
Ferris,
George Ferris, came up with the
Ferris wheel.
And the first Ferris wheel then
was in Chicago.
It was 250 feet in diameter, it w
as an enormous Ferris wheel.
The county fairs saw that.
"We can have a Ferris wheel."
They got a Ferris wheel.
Not one that was 250 feet in diame
ter, but smaller.
[playful circus music]
The merry-go-round is the second
common ride in a fair,
and the Tilt-A-Whirl is another
one, that's three.
Then there are car rides.
There are all kinds of other r
ides.
So the midway then became an ess
ential part of the fairs,
along with the cattle barns an
d the poultry barns
and all that kind of stuff, th
e beer tents.
There was the midway,
and it's where the kids and th
e young people
met their spouses at the fair,
often on the midway,
riding the rides.
- Noah Ballinger: But I love go
ing on the rides.
That's, like, one of my favori
te things about the fair,
because I have fun with my frie
nds
and I can just, like, scream a
ll day.
[riders screaming]
- My favorite ride is the Ferri
s wheel.
- The Tilt-A-Whirl. - Loop de
loop one.
- Freak Out.
- The roller coaster.
- The one where you slide down
with the mats.
- The scrambler. - Hi!
- I love the Ferris wheel.
- Tilt-A-Whirl, easily.
- I like the Merry-Go-Round,
that's just my speed.
- Guy: The Octopus.
I had not been on the Octopus fo
r several years
until my almost teenage son to
ok me on it
three consecutive times.
I was not probably in a position wh
ere I should have driven home.
[child screams]
- I like the merry-go-round
because they go up and down an
d it has music and horses.
- Dale: At night when we'd sn
eak out of the dormitories,
we'd walk underneath of the ride
s
and Rock-O-Plane would go upside
down, and the people's money
would fall out of their pockets
and fall on the ground,
and us kids would pick it up, an
d then we could
go on some more rides ourselves.
- I'll be honest, I'm not a ride
person.
Those things scare me.
They set them up, like,
two, three nights before and I'm
like, "No, thank you."
[playful music]
[upbeat music]
- Jerry: Well, the fairgrounds
is, in many ways, it's seen
as a symbol for the entertainm
ent dimension
of the fair. ["Call to Post" play
ing]
- Race Announcer: And they're
off and on their way!
- Jerry: If you want to attract
people to the fair,
especially those who are not
particularly interested in agr
iculture,
you needed something to bring t
hem there.
And that's where the entertainmen
t come in.
People could see at a fair some
thing they couldn't see
any other place.
As fairs evolved,
music became more and more a pa
rt of the fair.
[groovy blues music]
Not only in the grandstand, bu
t generally in special tents.
And I can, again, remember
as a kid going into a tent and
there was a guy
playing the guitar and a gal si
nging.
Country-Western music was very pop
ular, of course.
It was good, I enjoyed it very
much.
[upbeat country music]
And music today is still
an extremely important part of th
e fair.
It's one of the attractions fo
r younger people, to be sure.
[upbeat rock music]
The entertainment at the fair ha
s changed
as society has changed,
but I read-- I've forgotten wh
ich fair it was,
but people came and filled the
grandstand to watch a man
walk backwards and be timed as
to the speed with which
he could walk a mile backwards,
which to me sounds like
the dumbest thing in the world.
[laughs]
People would come to see that.
And then the very early draws we
re horse races.
[upbeat blues music]
And then to go another step fr
om horse races to buggies,
[engine revs] that was another
iteration.
If my horse can pull better th
an your horse, well,
my tractor can surely pull more
than your tractor.
So we had tractor pulling contes
ts, and that's
still around as well. [engine
roars]
As the years went by, we had car
races,
then demolition races,
and all that kind of stuff were p
opular, still are.
So the entertainment has morphed
from the very simple to the mor
e complex to maybe
more sophisticated, although I
hesitate to use that word,
[chuckles] kinds of entertainme
nt today.
[engine roars]
- Charlene Turner: We always
enjoyed the Sauk fair
because of the different things
they had.
I was never to a tractor pull
before I got married,
and I got married at 17, just out
ta high school.
So we were coming over to the t
ractor pulls because
a lot of times, my husband had
a tractor in the tractor pull.
[engine roars]
At that time, they had a, like a
boat that just
dragged the tractors, dragged
it, and they'd have people
in the audience that were on the
lower seats would stand up
and stand on it as it went along
,
'cause it was very slow, and then w
hen it
was enough people on it, it would
get stopped.
I always thought that was kind
of funny.
My sons took over the farm, and
they're still
bringing in tractors.
[engine roars]
I know my brother-in-law is an
d his family is.
They really enjoy it.
- I guess we really have fun
with the tractor pull and the
truck pull
and the demo derby that they ha
ve.
That's always, a lot of people,
I don't know,
I hate to see cars smashed up,
but a lot of people
love that kind of thing, so, it's
amazing what they can
get the horsepower outta, whethe
r it's a truck
or a tractor, and being a farm
er myself,
that piques my interest in tha
t kind of thing,
so, I guess what we come to the fai
r for.
[engine roars]
[cheerful tuba music]
- Jerry: I will never forget as
a kid, walking down the midway
and smelling hamburgers frying.
[sizzling]
Oh, that's such a wonderful sm
ell.
And I didn't have any money, so
I couldn't buy this,
these hamburgers, but I could sm
ell them.
Food and fairs go together like
gloves and hands.
They're a very important part
of a fair.
As we look at the history of fairs
over the years,
food has been a very important
part of these fairs.
And one of the other dimensions
of food at the fair,
which came because people wanted
to see things.
They didn't want to sit around an
d eat.
So they invented the idea
of portable food, food on a stick.
You could get bratwurst on a s
tick,
hamburger on a stick, bacon br
ats on a stick.
Breakfast on a stick, brownie
waffles on a stick.
Chicken in a waffle on a stick
.
Deep fried bacon and cream stick
on a stick.
Deep fried Snickers on a stick
.
You can get almost anything on
a stick so they can
carry it around and eat.
When I first started going to t
he fair in the late 1930s,
the idea of everything on a sti
ck, it wasn't there.
I didn't, I don't remember anyb
ody running around
with a corndog on a stick.
You can find food at fairs that
you can't find anyplace else.
And some of it is downright exotic
,
especially at the State Fair.
Each year, they have a special
list of new foods,
almost all of them on a stick.
Wisconsin was settled by a num
ber
of Germans and Polish people.
They knew about beer.
They knew how to make beer in t
heir home country.
They brought their skills here.
[upbeat polka music]
Some of the fairs developed the
beer tent
as sort of a replica of what th
ey remembered
from the beer gardens of Milwa
ukee.
And the beer stand, along with
the food stand,
became a part of almost every
fair.
And these were usually run by l
ocal organizations
like the churches and the VFW an
d the American Legion,
all of those.
4-H leaders,
they were all a part of the fo
od scene at the fair.
- Customer: I want a pork sandwic
h.
- Dale: We always went to the 4-
H stand and got
roast beef sandwiches or hambu
rgers
or anything away from home was
always good to eat.
- Donna: I enjoy all the fair foo
d.
I try to get to the 4-H food st
and
and the fire department stand
and the Farm Bureau stand,
and then all of the other ones
that come to supply us
with food and ice cream.
- David: The favorite food is,
was always
the malted milkshakes at the 4
-H food stand.
And the reason I say that is bec
ause we were 4-H members,
we had to work at the 4-H food
stand.
[playful music]
- Jerry: One of the special fo
ods at fairs is cotton candy,
and it goes back to the 1900s.
And it sounds so contradictory
because cotton candy is spun su
gar
and it was invented by a denti
st. [laughs]
And it was first introduced at
the St. Louis World's Fair
in 1904.
That's the beginning of cotton ca
ndy.
Then there are funnel cakes.
The Pennsylvania Dutch came up
with that idea.
And then there are some special
ties that
fairs are known for.
The Wisconsin State Fair, now in
West Allis,
has cream puffs as one of their f
eatured foods.
And people come by, literally
by the thousands,
and eat these special cream pu
ffs.
- Carolyn: One of the Farm Bur
eau stands here
has cream puffs.
I might have to have a cream pu
ff before I leave today, too.
- I guess I'm probably gonna ha
ve to say, oh, gosh.
I'm gonna say cream puff
just because I'm so glad they're
back.
- Eunice: This year, we have cre
am puffs,
so we are all anxiously waitin
g.
I think we're all gonna kind of
share
a cream puff yet.
- Right now it's the cream puf
fs. [laughs]
And the lemonade and the little d
onuts and...
I'm old school.
[playful music]
[swinging music]
- Gwendolyn: Whether you're sh
owing
or you're just coming to the f
air,
there's so many great people to
meet at the different stands
and the different events that are
going on.
There's always someone to talk
to and learn from.
And so, I think it's a good lea
rning opportunity
for anyone that wants to learn
more about 4-H
or fair projects, or just meet n
ew people from
different aspects of life.
- Noah: It's good to, like, in
teract with people
around your county that you wo
uldn't see otherwise.
And it's, like, a good educatio
nal thing for, like,
agriculture and stuff as well.
- Makenzie: You learn so much
about animals,
animal care, agriculture.
You can learn about lots of diff
erent things
just by reading posters all ov
er the fair,
and lots of different things
that you probably don't know about
.
- Bill: The thing I think that
is the most important
about the fair is the kids get t
o show
their animals and meet new peop
le and make new friends,
renew old friendships.
Just to see how they did on their
projects,
and adults as well.
[razor buzzes]
- Jonathan: I think it's reall
y important
to see how hard these kids work
with their animals
and the hard work that goes int
o all the projects,
not just the animals, but proj
ects.
A lotta hard work goes into it.
And so, I think for others to s
ee that, it's important.
[horse neighs]
- Gary Kaun: Statistics show th
at we're five or,
four, five, six generations away
from the farm.
They're the ancestors of the p
eople living in towns.
They can come out here and see
how the animals are
and the fact that we are good herds
manship people,
that we do care about our anim
als.
- Bailey Blader Lucht: I really
think that it's neat
for a lot of people to, like,
come and see
the different animals and the
hard work, really,
that the kids put in to bring
their animals here,
that a lot of the kids who don'
t live on farms
or don't have the animals can co
me and see them,
and just seeing them smile and
go through all the barns,
and it's really a nice sight t
o see.
- Samuel Wells: It just-- It's a
big community thing.
The whole community gets toget
her.
They have a big fair.
They go out and just have a gre
at time.
You can't go wrong with the fair
.
- Bill: I always look forward
to the fair.
When my kids got out of 4-H, my w
ife said, "You know,
you're not gonna have to go to
the fair every day anymore."
I said, "I know I don't, but I wi
ll."
[hammer thuds] [bell dings]
- Jerry: The fair is an educati
onal institution.
As a teacher, I have-- longtime t
eacher,
I have always promoted the lear
ning that takes place
away from the book and out of the
classroom,
and the fair is one of those pl
aces where it occurs.
The fair is a place to have fu
n.
The fair is a place to meet ol
d friends.
A fair is a place to eat exotic f
ood on a stick. [laughs]
The fair is a way of helping yo
ungsters, oldsters,
and everybody in between see wher
e our food comes from
straight away.
It shows us how to do it without re
alizing
we are learning so much about ea
ch other.
[bright music]
When you mention "fair," I am i
mmediately thrown back
to my days as a 4-H member, an
d I can remember this old,
ratty tent that we bought.
When you say "fair," I am immediat
ely in that tent
with all my 4-H buddies, and we're
sleeping on these cots
and we were getting up at 5 o'c
lock in the morning
because we gotta get down to the ba
rn and take care of the calves
and to brush them and fix them u
p for the fair.
We spent hours making, curling
their tails
and making them look wonderful.
Those are the memories that I hav
e now.
If you ask somebody else, they m
ight say,
"Well, I met my spouse at the c
ounty fair."
Well, gee whiz, tell me that s
tory.
It might be the person who one
year
had the grand champion beef ani
mal.
Someone else might say, "Well, w
hat I think about
"is I'm meeting friends that I
haven't seen
for a long time," but the memo
ries are all there,
and they're deeply implanted.
Those memories of the fair I ha
ve will never go away.
[gentle music]
[crowd chatter]
My dad t
than
5% of.
All right.% >> Hi. I'm
Jon Miskowski from
glad thatyou joined us tonight
for JerryApps. Meet us at the
fair. Based
on his
book published
by the Wisconsin
Historical Society
Press called Meet Me
on themidway, and
which Jerry has hada
chance to explain to you.That's available with
a gift of $10
a month and then a gift
of$25 a month.
We have
I just want
to explain what I'm
holding.These are the shows tha t
we'vedone with Jerry
Apps. The reasonI
have to hold so
many of themis
because of this.
Just suchgreat
response to every
showwe've done with Jerry
that has
inspired people to call
us to
with their pledges, which we're asking
you to do right now.Write
us with these
amazing stories about how
Jerry inspired
them to share
their story
withtheir family.
It's just it'sjust a
wonderful, wonderful
thing that makes us
feel so great that we have
done it and we've done it
for you. And because of
your support, pleasecall us
right now. This is ourlast
chance to weigh in, and
Jerry is at
home watching,
and Iknow he's hearing the phones
ring. If you
do that at
(800) 236-3636. Thanks.
That'sright. when you call
and pledgeyour support right now, you'resupporting gre
at programs likethese
Jerry Apps programs. If
you're anything like us
here inthe studio tonight,
I'm surethat
as you've watched this
program, you've been sharingyour own memor
ies of the
fair. I myself, my
family, we callourselves
a fair
family. That'swhat we do in the
summer. My 12year old son loves
fairs more
than anything, and we try to go
to as many as we can here in
Wisconsin throughout the summer. And he's
excited to dig into
this book
to see the history
ofsome of those fairs that we've
gone to. And
that's and we
willsend you this
book at the
$10level, $10
monthly gift
level. Or
you can choose
if you'drather
have the DVD of
the program you've been enjoying
tonight, because you knowsome one in
your family is goingto enjoy watching it
as well.That's also at the $10 a
monthlevel. If you can't decide
andyou want both, give it the $15 a
month sustaining level and we'll send
you both the DVD and the book, or at the $25
a month level, we'll send you
all thoseDVDs that John was
just showing you, as well as the
book and theold Farm Country Cook bookwritten
by Jerry and his daughter, Susan.
So why don'tyou call right now? Make yourpledge
of support. Get one
ofthose. Great. Thank you guys.One (800)
236-3636. >> Wonderful.
Thank you gifts.And just another
moment with this country cookbook. This was
written by Jerry and
his daughter.
So his daughter
Susan put
together a lot
of recipesthat
were Jerry's
mother's. Soit evokes
all of those memories
of grandmother's
kitchens and
wonderful recipes.
Banana bread,
like it's talked
about in the program.
There's some rhubarb
recipes. Just
wonderful. You
know, special
recipes made
with with
whole ingredients that
comeoff the
farm that maybe
we don't
see as often these days. Andit's
wonderful as a gift toshare with
maybe a
youngergeneration. So lots of
thank yougifts this
evening for thisbeautiful
program. Jerry
is such a
wonderful storyteller
and historian,
and you can take
a piece of that
and make it a
giftfor someone else. When youpledge your
support at
one(800) 236-3636. so great
to hear thephones ringing. Thank
you foryour calls
and your support. If
you haven't joined us
at (800) 236-3636,
I'm going
totalk a little bit about
publicbroadcasting, what it's meant
toWisconsin .
>> As a
product of a one room
country school where I
attended for eight years.
If it weren't
for radio, bringing the
schoolon the
air, we
would not have
had an outside connection to the
world at
all. Let's sing
with Professor
Gordon. Let's
draw .Let's
do everything.
Let's learn
about nature
with with
what was his
name anyway
? Ranger. Mack.
>> Ranger Mack. >> I
was just thrilled
with that stuff.
I just
thought it
was wonderful.
And it was
because it brought
together thousands of
kids like
me who
hadn't been out of
Wajir County. And
here we've
got a chance
to see something
that's bigger than
we are.
>> Well, those
pictures. >> From
Let's Sing
and Pop
Gordon and the
concerts across
the state and the
music that he
brought to classrooms. It's just
a wonderful
legacy that we
continue through our
work with education.
We continue
with programs
like this of
sharing our
heritage, and
we appreciate
your support and
your phone calland
your pledge at
(800) 236-3636. >> And
when you call and
make that
pledge of
support right now
and your gift,
we, you know,
your gift supports not only
great programs
like what
you're watching
tonight, this JerryApps
special meet us at thefair,
but it supports all
of PBSWisconsin services, includingthe
classroom services thatwe're
providing now and
creating in tandem with
teachers and educators
across the state. Sowhy don't
you call right now? Pledge your support one
(800) 236-3636 and when you do,we've got
these great thank you gift W
W e've got Jerry Apps.Owen, meet me
on the midway.
That's the history of
Wisconsin fairs.
And it's the
book that inspired
the program tonight.And you know what it
is greatfor? Because it
has the historyof every fair in Wisconsi
n. It'll inspire your next
trip tothe fair. If there's a
fair in a
neighboring county that youhaven't visited,
or you want toplan a summer
road trip, great tool for
doing that. That's at
the $10 level. Or you couldchoose
the DVD of the program tonight, or
you c g g
et both atthe $15 a monthly
gift givinglevel
at the $25 a
month level.
We'll send you all sev o
o f the
DVDs, all of the Jerry AppsDVDs, the
book and the Old Farm
Co
untry Cookbook. So why don'tyou call
right now, pledge your support. Get one of
these greatthank you gifts, and let us
kno
how important these greatprograms
are to you. One(800) 236-3636.
>> Thank you
for being
part ofthis wonderful evening, thisbeautiful
program. Thank you
foryour support. If
you're already
a
member, if you're a sustainer,we
appreciate you so
much. Andif you've
been thinking about itand
you're enjoying thisprogram, maybe this is
the timeto become a
sustainer or toincrease your gift a
little bit.
Because
this is important toyou. And
remember, at all of
these levels that Eric
talkedabout this evening, it'sir
ir ways
program guide. We love . This
guide comes
out each and every
month. There's tons of goo
information in here. And of course
the program schedule.Don't forget
about Passport atany
of theseev ev
els. You canalso receive
a subscription
to PBS, Passport and
stream allkinds of
wonderful programs.
Whenever you feel
like it. On
ma ma
nd from lots
of different
devices your
tablet, your phone,your
computer. When
you ge e
us a
call at one (800) 236-3636.
>> It's so great
to hear the
phones ringing, the conversations, people
sharing stories
as wonderful
night . And
it can continue
with your call
to (800) 236-3636. And Jerry's going
to talk a little bit
abouthis work . I'm with
Jerry Apps and
Jerry. You
mentioned your
experience with
stormy at the
fair. So you
can tell folks a
little bit more about
thatrelationship. And , and
you wrote a
book about that as well.>> I
have stormy was
a bull
calf and
he was
my for each
project in the
summer of 1947.
There's something
else happening
. In the summer
of 1947 that
changed my
life completely.
In the
spring,I came down with
polio and this
happened in well, it happened
inactually in January.
And by April,
I still
couldn't walk
. Inthose days,
there were nophysical
therapists. Therewasn't
anything. In
1947 to help
me. My
dad, bless
him, he
heknew about
Watkin's liniment
and he
rubbed on
my knee,
which was paralyzed
watkin's liniment
every night. And
he pulled on
itand it hurt.
Oh my God, that
leg hurt.
But I could
now stand
up. And
now he says,
now you'regoing to have to teach that
stormy how
to lead, or
you can'ttake him
to the ferry. You know,I
said, well, I'll
see what I
can do. Now.
Stormy was a
bull, and
he was also
bull headed.
Iif you know what
that means. He
did not wish
to be taught
tolead. If I
could start with thatphrase,
I wished
to learn how
towalk. And so
here is a
confrontation. A bull
headed bull
and a
polio victim.
And my
dad is standing
aside, cheering
us on.
And the first
attempts were not
good . I
ended up
being dragged
in the dirt a couple of
times, but
eventually I
must say
storming in and
I developed a
relationship. He seemed
tounderstand better
than most
people that this
kid is
introuble. He needs
some help
andI'm going
to help him.
It took a while,
but now
I'm leading
him and
he won a blue
ribbon for me
at the fair.
He understood
me better
than most
people .
>> It's so great
to hear, Jerry.Thank you
for sharing your stories. And
let's talk about
working some
more. I want
tomention a
couple people
that really
instrumental one, James
Steinbach, who said,
we have todo something with
Jerry Apps andjust
said, put his foot
down. He was
a director
of Wisconsin
Public Television
then and
said, do
it. And that
first show was
just so well
received, and I
want to congratulate
the folks,the production
folks who
workedon this show. It's
a beautiful
show. The
fair is
so it's so
represented so well
in this. And that
takes care
and thought
and work
and time.
And we can just
appreciate it. But
I want tomake sure
you understand andthank the
folks who really
put a
great effort
into that.
And then
finally, part of
our family,part of the
team , Ruth
Jerry's wife,
Ruth, Ruth
passed recently.
And so we
miss her.
We were
inspired by
her. If youever
went to hear
Jerry Apps speak
and you
wanted to sit next
to Ruth to get the
real story,just be
honest about it.
She's a
wonderful, just a
wonderful friend
and we
miss her.
And I'm
glad today
we have a chance
toremember her
and acknowledge
her contributions
to. >> The
. which I think is...
sounds exactly like what some si
deshow people would do.
There was a big sign out front
that said,
"Come in and see the horse with h
is head
where its tail ought to be."
I mean, who wouldn't want to see
that?
And people lined up, and they p
aid 50 cents each
to see this horse with his head
where its tail ought to be.
And there was a dark tent, and
they would
go into this dark tent, and he
re was a
big Belgian draft horse backed
into its stall.
Its head was where its tail oug
ht to be. [laughs]
And people walked out.
They were so embarrassed that they
paid 50 cents.
They wouldn't tell anybody else
that they'd been taken,
and the long line continued.
- Announcer: Funding fornJerry Apps
: Meet Us at the Fair
is provided by the Wooden Nicke
l Fund,
Greg and Carol Griffin,
Elizabeth Olson,
the Stanley J. Cottrill Fund,
donors to the Focus Fund for Wisc
onsin Programs,
and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
This program was made possible
in part by contributions to your
PBS station from
viewers like you.
Thank you.
?
Narrator: All across America...
from its bustling cities...
?
to its quiet towns...
a diverse group of artisans
share their unique visions with
the world.
Man: Whatever comes to me, what
ever comes to us,
we will place that and infuse t
hat into our work.
?
Narrator: It's a melting pot
of tradecraft,
marvels,
and masterpieces.
Man: We take something old and
familiar
and make it new.
?
Woman: It's exhilarating, it's f
un.
Narrator: These pioneers are ex
ploring new frontiers...
bringing history to life
with stone,
metal,
fire, and passion.
Man: The best thing about this job
is...
Mmm!
I get to get up and do something I
love.
Different man: It's not really
a job.
It's just kind of my life.
Woman: I could not see myself do
ing anything else.