Parade of gnomes

Gnomes, known as Father Christmas in Norway, joined in the fun during the Stanwood Camano Community Fair Parade Saturday. PHOTO BY JEREMIAH O Even if the weather was a little sketchy, there was plenty to depend upon at the Stanwood- Camano Community Fair over the weekend.

There was, for instance, the nightmare of parking.

The admission queue.

The never-quite-replicated smell and experience of trudging through sawdust.

There were Carhartt jackets and carnival games and cotton candy and pigs.

Live music and, of course, illusionist Brian LedBetter.

And people met friends and bumped into acquaintances and dumped a bite of elephant ear into the sawdust, and pretty soon they’d forgotten all about parking and the admission queue, and were just having fun convincing each other there’s no way, absolutely no way, Led- Better just did that. But there’s no way he faked it, either. How did he do that?

And at some point, a pig won a prize. So did a bunch of other animals, and some people. You can check out the results in an upcoming issue of the NEWS.

Sunday night, the sun closed its eye on booths and rides that would be gone in the morning, and stirring trees blew the last scent of concessions down the highway, where they settled in the valley..

And then they’ll be back next year, rain or shine, a parade of memories, traditions and a few newcomers — the future meeting the past — dependable.

Staff Reporter Jeremiah O’Hagan: 629-8066 ext. 125 or ohagan@scnews.com.