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Story Ideas – Local Street Fairs
By Deb Gallardo
Our town just finished its annual “Tomato Show.” By Sunday afternoon there was no evidence that 9 blocks of downtown had been cordoned off and filled with vendors, rides and games of chance, plus a stage, bleachers and space for lawn chairs since Wednesday.
The organizers have setting up and tearing down the show “down to an exact science.” With the cooperation of a few church groups, the litter patrol made Main Street and its immediate environs cleaner than it was before — and it was clean to begin with. All this was accomplished by noon, less than 12 hours after the street fair ended the previous night.
Crowds came to see the bands, the Little Miss Tomato Competition, the lip-sync contest, the Fredericktown Idol competition, the fruits and vegetables on display (the largest tomato, zucchini, etc.), the Farmer’s Market, the craft booths, the artisan’s exhibits in the judging section, and of course, the rides, games and specialty foods only available at fairs. (Elephant ears, sugar waffles, cotton candy, etc.)
And above all, they came to interact with others in the community. There was a festive atmosphere, lots of “hail, fellow, well met” everywhere you looked and the event was a success no matter how you look at it.
I look forward to this each year. There’s a certain feel to the week leading up to Labor Day. It’s not just the weather. I’m guessing it has to do with the sun’s position or else it’s just knowing that the Tomato Show is coming soon. The power of the human mind…
Anyway, what I love about the street fair, even if all I do is judge the Fredericktown Idol competition and pick up food for Mother at the local vendors (churches, Lion’s Club, etc.), I still feel the energy. It’s palpable!
I can feel that energy even at home, since I happen to live just a block away from the main stage. Each night from Wednesday through Saturday, the sounds of guitars and drums and singers wafted through my open windows. And promptly at 11:00, the show was over.
Idyllic? Not really. And hence my reason for including this as a source of story ideas. Imagine the scene I’ve depicted here, then construct some kind of conflict. Other people live above the businesses lining Main Street. And people living one block off the town square have a Tilt-a-Whirl ride less than 50 yards from their houses.
Visitors and participants must park several blocks away, so there is always much foot traffic, noisy conversations, crying children being taken home in disgrace, people eating and drinking and sometimes littering the path to their cars. Others may trespass onto private property. Those who brought dogs may allow them to defecate in neighborhood yards.
So take these not-even-quite-annoyances and start inventing characters. Throw in some “carnies,” those roving entrepreneurs who travel with a group of vendors and amusement ride hawkers — some legitimate and some on the take. Add disgruntled residents, inconsiderate pedestrians and dog-walkers, rabble-rousers in the crowd, out-of-towners bent on causing mischief, inclement weather, a natural disaster, a tragic accident on one of the rides, a dispute over incorrect change, food quality, pick pockets, or any other conflict you mght envision in such an environment.
Once you have the conflict(s), flesh out the cast of characters. This will enhance your story idea and probably spark your imagination even more. Are you still reading this? You should be writing. Time to get started.
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1 Comment »
September 13th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
What a neat tip for writers, Deb. I really loved your story and think it would be fun to be so close to all the fun. Oh and I love the tilt a whirl LOL
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