Salem, Va. – After 12 days of laughter and screams, The Salem Fair wrapped up Sunday.
Rainstorms at times forced the fair to take a pause.
“We had lightning and sat here for two hours the other night,” Salem Fair Manager Carey Harveycutter said. “And if its within 8 miles we don’t run rides. We locked the gates down. Just from a safety stand point.”
But when sunshine returned, crowds lined up to enjoy rides, play games and get a final taste of carnival treats.
On donation nights, the fair collected 3,715 pounds of food and 1,000 pairs of socks to help the community.
“The community always comes out and supports us very well,” Harveycutter said.
Magic shows and interactive demonstrations drew attention.
Lumberjacks showed off their wood carving skills and 6-year-old Stephen Wood ended up walking away with a custom-made throne.
Daniel Beckstead traveled from Oregon to show off his log rolling skills to his first Salem Fair crowd.
“The crowd is the one variable of the show that you can’t ever control,” he said. “You just have to learn how to be your best showman self regardless of the weather, or the situation, or the people around you. But that kind of stuff. That’s a blessing. We had a good crowd.”
Though Beckstead is training to win the world championships, sometimes he ends up making a splash.
“It’s very cold,” he said. “Of course, having wet clothes is just part of being a log roller. But I’m just glad it was genuine. You can’t ever stage things like that. And the crowd liked it.”
Harveycutter says employees won’t walk away empty handed since each one will get a Salem Fair cap as a memento.
A tradition since the fair started 35 years ago.