Friendships formed at fair live on

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By Christina Scanlon

Shortly after the gates opened at the Washington County Fair Friday morning, tractors were moving and stirring up dust. Their buckets repeatedly filled with sand, depositing it around newly formed paths.

The machines were toys and the operators were boys, but unlike the dirt roads they were building, the friendships they were forming were real.

“It’s the first thing they do when we get here,” said Brenda Lee Tyler, of Hartford, of the boys meeting up to play.

Her son, Brandan, 8, dug in the dirt alongside Jack Talmadge, 10, of Hudson Falls.

“We only get to see each other at the fair,” said Jack, of waiting all year long to meet up again.

Brandan believed they’ve been friends for three or four summers now.

This year, they were joined by Ryan Armitage, 7, of Greenwich.

Brandan provided the toys for everyone this year, as Jack had forgotten his. Ryan said he’ll bring his big trucks next time, as the three were already making plans for next year.

It wasn’t all play, though, as Brandan and Jack hopped up to tend to the cows when they needed some attention.

Across the fairgrounds, Brittany Perry was tending to her cow, Loyal, who was named Grand Champion of the Holstein breed.

She’s 21 now, but recalled coming to the fair each year, along with her family of Yorkmont Farm, Hampton, since she was eight.

She forged friendships similar to those of the young boys now.

“They are lasting friendships,” she said. “We’ve grown up together at the fair. It’s cool to see where they’ve all gone,” she said.

Now adults, those friends have graduated and gone on to college or careers.

“We’re still all returning,” she said of seeing them at the fair.

“Really, some are as close as family,” she said.

Some that are true relatives, by blood, were in the neighboring barn. The Nelson Farm, Hebron, had quite a crew helping out.

There were nine grandchildren in all, helping out with nine cows that were shown.

Several of those were visiting for the summer from mission work in Tajikistan.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan’s children have experienced the same friendship-forming over the years.

“My son developed friendships with other boys from Hartford and Hebron,” he said. His family lives in Greenwich and has seen these relationships develop through FFA, as well.

For Lauren Wicks, 14, of Hartford, the meeting up with friends isn’t just those involved in the fair.

Friday, she was headed to tend to her rabbits and guinea pigs, recent ribbon winners, when she bumped into Jessa Cushing, 12, a friend from school and also of Hartford.

Their coincidental crossing of paths had them chatting and Jessa visiting Lauren’s animals and the occasion of running into a variety of friends isn’t rare.

“This happens all the time at the fair,” she said.