Families flock back to Oklahoma State Fair one year after COVID-19 cancellation

From the seat of his stroller, Houston Moreland's head swiveled eagerly between the youngsters zipping down the towering slide and the midway game booths festooned with oversized stuffed animals. 

As he watched the motion, colors and crowds on the opening day of the 2021 Oklahoma State Fair, the 1-year-old leaned back, looked up his mother and sent her a delighted smile.

"He's observing everything. He hasn't seen this before," said his mom, Brittany Taylor, of Oklahoma City. "He's not used to people. With COVID, he's really isolated. So, he's seeing the people and just looking around."

A year after the 2020 fair was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, families with children flocked back to one of the state's largest annual events as it opened Thursday. With the theme "Back 2 Fun in '21," the fair continues through Sept. 26 at the OKC Fairgrounds.

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Feeling more normal 

Although the Oklahoma State Fair has sometimes been modified — particularly during World War II — last year's cancellation marked the first time the event had been completely scrapped since its inception in 1907.

"It was probably the best thing to do at the time," said Misty Zaragoza, who lives in Yukon. "But I'm excited about it being back."

Although the emergence of the Delta variant has extended the pandemic, Zaragoza said she felt safe returning to the fair. 

"It's in the open air and with lots of breeze going," she said.

As the heat of the still-summer day lingered, Zaragoza took a break under one of the misting tents near the midway. Her daughter, Caitlyn Allen, 16, dozed with her head in her mom's lap after flipping and spinning through several rides. 

"We're going to ride more rides," Caitlyn said, noting that her favorite was the spinning Starship 4000. 

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Reviving a family tradition 

In an almost literal sense, the Oklahoma State Fair provides the glue that holds Victoria Gaetan's family together. 

"We just have a family tradition of the different stuff that we do," she said. "My wife, she gets her makeup that's only here once a year. We have the things that we always get at the fair, and last year she ran out. And there's a glue that's like the greatest glue ever … and we ran out of that." 

Sitting at a picnic table outside Jim Norick Arena, Gaetan, of Oklahoma City, watched her niece, Arya, 6, munch her way through a basket of fries. The girl had already had her face painted with a rainbow and a ladybug and sampled the gummy bear ice cream.

Gaetan and her sister, Kaylin Smith, of Healdton, were waiting with Arya for more family members to gather at the fairgrounds so they could head over to the first performance of "Disney on Ice Presents Dream Big" at the state fair. 

Before they had even seen the ice show, Gaetan was already planning a return trip to the fair.

"I will have an adult day … while the kids are in school," she said. "It feels great to be back. We love it." 

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Cheering for film favorites

At least two-thirds of the seats in State Fair Arena were filled Thursday night as Disney on Ice skated back to the Oklahoma State Fair with "Dream Big," a show featuring favorite characters from several Mouse House movies, including "Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid" and "Coco." 

Little girls donned their Disney Princess costumes — as usual, Elsa, Anna and Belle were among the dress-up favorites — and spinning light-up toys illuminated children's faces in the darkened arena. The crowd oohed over Cinderella's carriage, gasped when Maleficent's dragon set the ice on fire and cheered in delight at the "Frozen" finale, featuring the perennially popular show-stopper "Let It Go."

A music teacher at Moore's Central Elementary School, Zachary Snider sang along with every song from "Be Our Guest" to "Kiss the Girl." 

"I love these shows — all of it," Snider said. "I grew up watching figure skating with my mom on the Olympics." 

While his wife Katie tended their 17-month-old son Aaron, Snider watched the show beside his daughter, Hannah, 3, who was delighted to see Rapunzel and Tinker Bell zipping across the ice. 

When the cocky demigod Maui made his entrance alongside the scrappy heroine of "Moana" Lydell Calhoun, of OKC, grinned as his son Amire, 8, waved his souvenir hook enthusiastically. 

"I'm enjoying them enjoying it," Calhoun said during intermission. 

Calhoun's wife, Daisha, said their daughters, Harlem, 5, and Jerzey, 1, were thrilled with every Disney Princess to take the ice. 

"I think I like it even more than them," Daisha Calhoun said. "We were sad last year that we didn't get to do this."

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Tasting the comeback 

Like most fairgoers, the Calhouns said they relish the food at the state fair. While Lydell sticks with the Indian taco, Daisha said she tries different delicacies. 

"I'm more experimental with the bison balls or whatever's new," she said.

Back on the midway, Brittany Taylor wheeled her son Houston's stroller between rides and booths while her mother, Felicia Taylor, walked alongside them. Her mom said she prefers the classic corn dog, while Brittany opted for the chicken on a stick and cheese on a stick and shared some French fries with her son. 

"I missed everything last year. I was in the house ... pregnant with him. I already had to sit at home, and then COVID came and I couldn't really go nowhere," she said. "It was depressing ... so I'm just glad to be here."