Fair fare tempts all tastes
Fair fare tempts all tastes

Whatever you’re craving this weekend, you can get it at the Churchville Lions Country Fair--along with some concoctions you might never have thought to crave.

Sunday’s Chicken Barbecue is one of the big attractions, and in the words of Lion Steve Neidrauer, "You’re never going to find a cheaper chicken barbecue with all the stuff we give you. You’ll get a half a chicken, fresh corn and fresh salt potatoes--but you better hurry. They start selling them at 1 p.m. and the dinners go quickly."

The Lions also offer a beef barbecue on Saturday, and a hot dog, hamburger and sausage stand all weekend. Ray Jackling organizes the latter. "Last year on Saturday I sold almost all the hamburger I had planned for the entire weekend," he said. "So I upped my orders."

This year he has ordered 204 pounds of hot dogs, 150 pounds of sausage, and 170 pounds of hamburger. He has Lions and community members scheduled in three-hour shifts to cook and serve, and he and his co-organizer Lion John Rabideau will fill in when needed.

On Sunday morning, the Lions will offer a full pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. For $3, order up pancakes, sausage, coffee or milk and juice. Last year, they served 250 people - some from the community and a lot of tractor owners.

All proceeds from the Lions-run booths go directly back to the club to support their community work. The Lions also welcome other community organizations to set up booths for free, according to Nancy Neidrauer, who organizes the food vendors.

She said the Churchville-Chili High School’s Hockey Team will be selling hot dogs and canned soda near the tractor display, the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church will offer desserts, and the Churchville Volunteer Fire Department will have clams, corn and salt potatoes again this year. "They might try shrimp cocktails and clam chowder this year, too," she said.

Commercial vendors include Abbott’s ice cream, Frank’s Italian Ice, S&J concessions with fried dough and calzones, a kettle korn booth, and, a couple of those things you may not have dremed up—fried dill pickles and fried Oreo sundaes.