WALTON - Before fairgoers can enjoy the rides, visit the barns or grab their favorite fair food, they first have to get through one of the busiest places at the Delaware County Fair - the parking lot.
That is where Danny Hodges, Abby Regg and Dalton McEntee the rest of the fair’s parking crew come in.
At 17, Regg already has three years of experience helping direct the steady stream of vehicles arriving at the fairgrounds.
“I love the fair,” Regg said. She and her fellow crew members are among the people working behind the scenes to keep traffic moving and visitors safe.
Parking cars may sound like a simple job, but the crew says there is more to it than pointing drivers toward an empty space.
While Regg and McEntee represent a younger generation of fair workers, another member of the parking crew, Danny Hodges, has been helping at the Delaware County Fair for 32 years. During that time, he has served as president and director of the fair. Although he has retired from the board of directors, he continues to volunteer.
Hodges said the process is not always easy and urged people to pay attention to and follow staff guidance.
Part of the challenge is something familiar to anyone who has pulled into a crowded parking lot: everyone wants the closest available space.
“So many people want that very first fantastic spot, but they all can’t have it,” he said. “We have to park them throughout the field, and we just need them to go with the flow and help us help them.”
Safety is at the center of the crew’s work as vehicles and pedestrians make their way through the fairgrounds.
“It is a very big issue, and we take it seriously,” Danny stated.
Experience helps.
McEntee is in his second year directing cars, adding to a team that blends longtime fair experience with a new generation willing to pitch in.
Their work happens before visitors reach the midway, livestock barns and grandstand, but it is an important part of making the fair run smoothly.
And the crew has one simple request for those arriving at the fairgrounds: Pay attention, follow their directions and go with the flow.
