The Fair Report

I was away all last week enjoying time at the Neshoba County Fair in our cabin. The Fair Times newspaper did articles on former townspeople coming back home to the fair. They highlighted my husband as one of those former citizens of Philadelphia.

On a side note, I give the forecast every morning on the front steps of our cabin. I call it the "faircast". Without television and radios there, we are often left to wonder what the forecast is for the day, but that is no longer the case. So behind us, you'll see a portion of the "faircast". I thought I'd share the article with you along with the family snapshot they took of us.
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Since 3 months of age, William Bassett has attended 42 consecutive Fairs and has shared the tradition of going to the Fair with his own children.

"My oldest child Gracie was just 3 weeks old, Will was 7 months and Lilly Faith was 3 months old when they first went to the Fair," William said. "I guess we have sort of a family tradition of breaking the new ones in early. I will always treasure the memories of my mom watching Will and Gracie taking in their first Fairs."

The Bassetts have enjoyed the Fair over the years at Cabin 220 in Happy Hollow. It was built in 1956 by William's grandparents, while his father was in high school.

"It's a wonderful location, because it's close to the square, midway and racetrack, but far enough away that it's a little quieter," he said.

According to Bassett, working with his father on the cabin each year has provided a wealth of memories and knowledge. "I think I learned everything I know about carpentry, painting, plumbing, and wiring from weekends spent working with my dad on the Fair cabin."

One of the more memorable Fair moments for Bassett was when his grandmother and mother cooked tons of wonderful food, cakes and snacks to take to the Fair. "Come July, their houses always smelled so good because there was some serious Fair cooking going on," he said. "I have tried to keep a few of their cooking traditions alive but I've got a long way to go before I reach their level of culinary expertise."

These are also the 2 women that William misses the most during Fair week. His grandmother died in 2001, and his mother, in 2007.

"I miss getting to spend time with them the most," he said. "Granny would sit on the porch for hours visiting with people and watching the people pass by, never hesitating to reprimand a youngster for an errant throw of a ball or Frisbee or water balloon that passed too close to her head. Mom would sit for hours discussing politics and the philosophies of life with various friends until the wee hours of the morning."

Since leaving Philadelphia, William has married who he describes as "the most amazing and beautiful woman," Barbie Bassett, originally from Marks.

This year at the Fair, Bassett plans to slow down and unplug from the rest of the world. He also plans to spend time visiting with family and friends and enjoy lots of good food.