Ahhhhh, the Columbiana Street Fair. . . how we love thee! Every year it comes without warning- suddenly, swiftly, unapoologetically- the end of Summer. We lament its passing during the last hurrah of the hottest season of the year- the Columbiana Street Fair. We soothe our sorrowed hearts that tear up at the thought of the summer fading with pulled pork sandwiches, Legion burgers, vinegar-soaked fresh cut french fries, elephant ears, sugary cotton candy, and seeing many familiar faces as we walk up and down Main Street smelling the scents of the Street Fair & hearing the sounds of kids laughing amidst the carnival rides. And the event that kicks it all off? The Columbiana Street Fair Parade, of course! We attend the Street Fair Parade almost every year, but this year was special because we got to be a part of the parade! Danielle’s grandfather (we call him Tata) spent a lot of time, energy, and money making his John Deere look great & building a trailer to haul his great grandkids in for the parade. He had the idea last Christmas & mentioned that he’d like to incorporate a banner of some kind for Menning Photographic on it. . . what an awesome grandpa! He turned his fun hobby into something for the grandkids to enjoy & a fun way to get our name out in the community. And, let me tell you, we had a BLAST riding in the trailer & tossing out candy. I couldn’t stop smiling.
There she is in all of her glory. The banners were courtesy of Jason at JF Design 2.Â
We had to say a quick hello to our cousins on the Little Clippers Football team float before the parade began.
Our daughter Tenley got to participate in her first parade at only six months old thanks to her great grandpa.
This is my dad. A.K.A. the best daddy ever. My baby carrier is a Tula. Be warned if you go to their website & get interested in Tulas because you’ll want to buy 12 or 37 or so of them. Seriously . . . you’ve been warned!
Our nephews Landon & Mason arrived on the scene ready to throw some candy in their John Deere shirts.
We snapped some photos of the parade spectators. If you were there, see if you can find yourself! Your smiling faces looked lovely!
Tenley tried her darnedest to grab the candy to no avail.
This was our rookie year of parade participation & we had NO IDEA that the parade kept going beyond the traffic circle in the middle of town! It goes pretty far down Main Street actually! We were caught off guard & ran out of candy just as we got to the circle because we were throwing HUGE piles to get rid of it because we thought the parade ended only to be mistaken & sad that there were more kids left on Main Street & we had thrown out all of our candy. If we’re in the parade next year, we promise to save some candy for you parade spectators at the end of the line now that we’re in the know!
Once the parade was finished, we hopped off the trailer & got our Street Fair on. No Swine Left Behind is THE BEST! 
Pulled pork sammie goodness because calories don’t count during the Street Fair, amiright?!
We had to stop in for some delicious lattes at Generations Coffee House. Tenley got some Papabear snuggles.
Some might say that our life is too small town. But we love our little town full of familiar faces! We wouldn’t change it for the world & we’re so happy to be a part of its charm. A few VERY exciting new small businesses are forthcoming in the Main Street area within the next few months & we couldn’t be more pumped. My dad said, “Your generation is taking over the town.” It kind of is & it’s wonderful to see other people in our age bracket starting their own businesses that they’re proud of, that they love, and that will keep this small town vibrant & special. At next year’s Street Fair, we’ll be sure to stop by All Good Things & Birdfish Brewing Co. along with Generations Coffee House. Shop small, support local! 🙂
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