Sasperilla's

Exhibition Memories

  Every one of us has special memories of the Fredericton Exhibition. Depending on your likes or dislikes, memories will vary, and of course there will be those whose memory will be affected by different sights, smells and sounds of those days. The Merry-Go Round for example had a sound that no one could forget. Then there were the low moans and high pitched screams coming for the Haunted House. Who could forget some fellow within the gaming booths saying “Hey, hey, right this way, don't be shy, give it a try. Three for a quarter, nine for a dollar”. Do the math people, it was cheaper to spend four quarters individually, but who paid any attention, most of us spent the dollar anyway. Oh the hot dogs, cotton candy, and the taffy apples, were a must have at any exhibition, but it always had to be after a trip to the livestock barns before Mom or Dad would let us have any of the above. Whew, what were they thinking? 

  Yes friends we all have fond and not so fond memories of the old EX, but there is always one that sticks out no matter how many memories we have. Let me tell you of one that I shall never forget. To do this I’m going to set the stage so you will get a clear and vivid picture.

  Back in the early 60s, my dad owned a red 1959 GMC truck. A cap had been built on the back with a seat, minus seat belts of course, and it was common in those days to let people ride in the back. This particular cap over the box did not have a door or lift cover over the tail gate. You could see everything that was behind you and there was fresh air, thank God. That being said let's go back to the exhibition. 

  It was a nice day in September and as usual, Labor Day was the favorite of many to attend. It was just before school opening again, and what a great way to end the summer holidays. When we were much younger, Reece and I had to be led around, or dragged around by Mom and Dad. It was usually up to Mom to do this as Dad would be off in the livestock barns looking up old friends or trying to establish new ones. It wasn't until we were twelve or thirteen that we were allowed to wander about by ourselves. So, somewhere around that age, a couple of young pups were now able to go freely as long as we would meet Mom at a predetermined spot to check in every now and then. We did get on rides and by now we were able, and tall enough to participate in some of the available games. “Hey, hey, right this way, don't be shy, give it a try”. Temptation has spoken; you either listen up, step up, or loose a chance to win who knows what. Luck doesn't have much to do with winning anything at the exhibition, you either win or lose. I don't remember what game I chose to play but when all was said and done, I stood with one of the largest old stogies I have ever seen. Yes you heard me correctly, I had one big fat cigar in my hand for doing something, although I had my eye on a stuffed toy or something else, I wound up with this. Now most young boys would turn something like this over to an adult, or maybe their dad. Not me, I had other ideas. LOL… On the way home, after an exhausting day at the EX and while in the back of my dads truck, I took this cigar out and showed it to Reece. He being two years younger than me, thought I was completely nuts. 

  From Fredericton to Geary is approximately a half hour drive. That should give me plenty of time to light up, enjoy, or at least get a taste of what the adult world was all about. Now at that time there was no bypass in existence, you had to drive through Lincoln, and the neighboring communities to get home. I'm not sure if many of you remember the Irving Restaurant and Gas Bar in Lincoln, the one that had the big “EAT” sign with an arrow flashing on and off. That just happened to be Dads favorite place to stop, fuel up and if the mood was right, get something to eat. I hadn't counted on this stop that particular day, but it could have been the steady stream of smoke, that was drifting from the rear of the truck, that prompted him to pull over. TOO LATE, I knew I was caught and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. 

  Dad was a big man, but he was as gentle as a lamb. He didn't lose his cool much, so when he kind of rolled out of the drivers seat and headed to the back of the truck, I knew there was some hope for me. When he rounded the corner, I had my hand stuck out with this big old cigar in it, and I kindly offered it up to him. As he was reaching out for it he said” What's the matter young fella, to much for ya”? I’m not sure what color I was. There was some green from smoking, some red from embarrassment and fear, and there could have been some purple as well. All I knew at that point was that there would be no black and blue as the result of my experiment. You could have heard a pin drop and Reece’s mouth just hung open like that of a yawning Rhinoceros. Surprisingly enough, I don't think anything was ever mentioned to Mom. Whew, I had been spared. 

  Yes, we all have our memories of the old Fredericton EX and each of us has special memories. Not that anything would turn out differently but, I'd give anything to relive this one. I can't remember when I smoked my last cigar, but every time I do, I remember the Fredericton Exhibition.

Hope you have enjoyed this. It's not a tall tale, but it sure is a tall memory. 

Thanks, Geo Donovan  

September, 12^th, 2011