Tales of the Magic Skagit

At the 2022 Skagit County Fair, Don Wick and I got to interview a lot of folks with deep and resonant memories not only of fair's past, but of our community's past. One of those folks was a lifelong horse person and fairgoer whose name should be familiar with anyone acquainted with the Magic Skagit's pioneer past: Liza Peth Bott, whose mother came from the venerable Peth farming family. Liza tells...

I have often said that the Idaho Botanical Garden is a jewel in the crown of Boise, Idaho. Its east foothills' setting adjacent to the old Idaho State Penitentiary is reason enough to visit, but its displays of Idaho's botanical riches will keep you coming back through the cycle of seasons -- its Winter Garden Aglow is absolutely breathtaking. As its website so succinctly describes it, the Idaho B...

Avast ye slimy bilge rats, and tell me if ye've seen a bolder buccaneer at the Skagit County Fair than me shipmate, Cap'n Seaglass, or I'll keelhaul the lot of you sorry swabs. One thing you can be sure of is that you're not likely to encounter anyone whose business card reads "Pirate for Hire." Arggh!

It takes a village to put on a fair -- and that includes not only exhibitors, performers, and volunteers, but vendors as well. While many in that latter category provide us eager fairgoers with our favorite "forbidden fruits" (don't get Don Wick started on deep fried Twinkies), there are also a variety vendors who sell us merchandise and mementos to be enjoyed long after the carnival leaves town....

Don Wick and I had the pleasure of interviewing Darci and Tom Toth while at the Meyer Sign Fair Memory Booth. We were interested in their experiences as long time members of the FFA. Then we discovered that Darci is the great, great, great granddaughter of the first full-time white settler on Fidalgo Island, and the conversation took a short detour into Magic Skagit pioneer history. It was well wo...

Bruce McCormick, who turned 91 years young last December, is a living link to the Skagit Valley's pioneer past. And while he may not have written the book on local pioneer history, he just so happens to own a copy that he's willing to share with me and our Tales of the Magic Skagit audience. The book, published nearly 120 years ago, is entitled, "History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties Washington...

The very last interview that I did at Meyer Sign's fair history booth, "All in Love is Fair," was one that tugged at my heartstrings more than any other that Don Wick and I recorded over the four days of the 2022 Skagit County Fair. Kim Larson and her son Roman have been volunteer stalwarts at the Fair for years. Roman was adopted by Kim when he was four years old...and living in Ukraine. He is un...

Beaver Tales Coffee & Tea, at 602 Morris St. in La Conner, Washington, celebrates its first anniversary in business this November 1. For owners and partners Michelle Calvin and Tony Cladoosby, its success as a local coffee hangout is due to more than the quality of the fair trade beans they batch roast. The venue itself, with its calming indoor and outdoor spaces, offers a visual bridge betwee...

Heidi Fair won Don Wick's and my award for "Best Last Name for a Fair Attendee." It was a hands down decision -- and that was before we found out that this was the first time Heidi and her kids had come to the Skagit County Fair. When asked what they liked most about the experience, their answer delighted me. Find out just what it was in this memory from the 2022 Skagit County Fair. 

On Friday, September 23, artist Jay Bowen will present "A Bridge of Cultures" at the Shelter Bay Community Center, just across the Rainbow Bridge from La Conner, Washington. The event will feature Jay's art and insights as a member of the Upper Skagit Tribe, and will begin at 5pm with a seminar that he will co-host with author and anthropologist James Barrett. There will be music and a hosted wine...

Christy Lyon was born and raised in Concrete, and her experience in 4-H stretches back nearly 40 years. She talks with Don Wick and me about what it takes to show a dog at the Fair, and why her time in the 4-H program has been so meaningful, both as a kid and now as an adult leader. 

One of the great things about the Skagit County Fair is that we get to indulge our inner kid. And if you're a kid named Finn, there's plenty to love about the Fair -- even if the vulture wasn't here this year. 

What kind of a kid would play dolls with his little sister under the Mount Vernon tulip poplar, scale the backyard fence of the future lead singer for the Manhattan Transfer to get into the Fair, and scale the "Stokely Tower" to launch balsa gliders without his parents ever discovering his shenanigans? Allow us to introduce you to Fred Wright -- Mount Vernon's answer to Dennis the Menace. 

Along with its wonderful tribute to the life and art of Lavone Newell-Reim (come to think if it, life and art were one in the same for for her), the Skagit County Historical Museum is also displaying a collection of vintage typewriters in an exhibit that is fittingly entitled, "Hunt and Peck." As a lover of vintage typewriters (he said, proudly), I was curious about the individual who had contribu...

Dorothy Elsner and Margaret Olson describe themselves as two of the heads of a three-headed monster (Fair Manager Aric Gaither having the distinction of being the third head) that propels the ag programs at the heart of the Skagit County Fair's identity. It might be more accurate, however, to think of them as parts of a three-headed energizer bunny. Learn why in this Share Your Fair  intervie...

You'll find lots of things besides treats and trinkets at the Skagit County Fair vendor booths. You'll also find folks like Carmen Hargis-Villanueva, who along with her fellow volunteer attorneys with Northwest Justice Project provide critical legal services to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Don Wick and I talk with Carmen about what she does and why it matters...and how it...

During her half century relationship with the Skagit County Fair, Bonita Elfstrom has been at the forefront of the 4-H dog programs. In this interview, she recalls the history of those programs and what it takes to support them. She also remembers the year that Lassie came to the Fair!

My goal at every Fair is to add at least one new thing to my list of "firsts." Last year it was mangonada (don't even get me started on how amazing that beverage is). This year I succeeded in achieving two "firsts." The first "first" was eating elote, a Mexican style of corn on the cob that may very well become a new FFS (Fair Food Staple). The second of my two "firsts" was meeting a genuine book...

Swinomish tribal leader Brian Cladoosby was at the Skagit County Fair with his wife and grandson when he stopped by to visit with Don Wick and me. Long time residents of the Magic Skagit will recognize Brian not only for his contributions to the Swinomish community, but for his overall leadership among tribal groups throughout the United States. Rather than reaching for the top, however, Brian has...

Brad Raspet got into bee keeping after he retired from Renton Fire & Emergency Services, and his life has been sweeter for it. For years now, Brad has been coming to the Fair to share his love of bees, and to increase our appreciation for how critical they are to our well being. 

Over the years that I've been attending local fairs, a performer that I've admired from the get go has been Chris Eric Parker -- better known to fans of rock 'n roll as "Sunday Speedtrap." Not only is he a super rhythm guitar player, but his vocals on what could be called The Great American Songbook of Rock (his repertoire numbers in the hundreds of top 40 staples) always convey the sense of urgen...

Back when Dee Shimkus was a 4-H leader of the Skyline Skippers of Anacortes, her club baked scones in the Fairground's kitchen that induced the First Lady of Country Music to bestow a kiss upon Dee's oldest boy. You're going to love this story. I sure did.

Kathy Silk has lived in the Magic Skagit, a moniker she recalls as a "child of the '60s," since 1958. In this interview she remembers not just the Skagit County Fair, but the distinct communities that rubbed shoulders every summer out at the fairgrounds. She also credits the Fair with checking a box on her "bucket list": winning a ribbon for art. By the time you finish listening to Kathy's memorie...

Yesterday we posted an interview with an 11-year old 4-H kid named Laney, who showed up at the Meyer Sign "All in Love is Fair" booth with her good buddy, Kendrick. Each of them wanted a Tales of the Magic Skagit t-shirt (who wouldn't, right?), and each of them was willing to share their fair memory to win one. Keep in mind, these are kids who know a thing or two about winning. In this interview,...

Laney is a very poised young 4-H kid (no surprise, right?) who stopped by the Meyer Sign Fair History Booth with her good friend Kendrick to find out how they could win a couple of Tales of the Magic Skagit t-shirts. When they learned that all they needed to do was sit down with a goofy looking old guy and talk about why the Skagit County Fair is special to them, those t-shirts were as good as the...