There are just over 22,000 people living in all of Curry County, Oregon. In area the county is over 28% larger than the State of Rhode Island but only has about 2% of that state’s population. In other words, it’s pretty sparsely populated.

Every year, for a century, the county has has hosted a fair. As far as I know, for the last several decades it’s been held here, where I now live, at the county seat, Gold Beach.

It may be because of troubled economic times but, since I’ve been here, the Fair has been getting smaller and smaller and this year’s edition is the smallest one I’ve seen so far. However, small or not, I wouldn’t have missed the Fair for anything.

The Fair usually lasts four days, from a Thursday to Sunday, and on Saturday there’s a parade that passes through the city on its way to the fairgrounds. This year Backwoods Home Magazine had an entry in the parade, so I took photos of it.

All of the photos I’m posting today were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens. On many of the cropped-sensor cameras, this lens would have too narrow a field of view for everyday use, bu it makes a decent “walk-around” lens for a camera with a full-frame sensor. So, it worked just fine for the parade.

Many of the photos I’ve posted were were cropped, and a few were lightened up, using ACDSee 7.0.

I met the BHM contingent on Caughell Street. (The consensus is that the street’s name is pronounced “Call.”) They were told to assemble there at 10:00 a.m. and the parade would start at 11:00. Left to right are Cody Hawkins (with the golf bag), Sammy Duffy, Robby Duffy, Jeff Ferguson, Toby Stanley (with all the candy), Steve Wilhite (in the baseball cap), and Al Boulley (holding up the other end of the BHM banner). Just to the right of Al is Toby Stanley Sr.

Shutter speed 1/320     f/6.3     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

This is the candy that was going to be passed out along the parade route. The dentists in the county were dancing with joy.

Shutter speed 1/400     f/7.1     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

These were some of the parade entrants assembled behind BHM.

Shutter speed 1/1000     f/10     ISO 100     focal length 70mm   (I also had to lighten this photo considerably.)

I went back to the parade route and waited. This was the main body of the parade coming into sight. The biplane, flown by “Lucky Jim” did flyovers of both the parade and, later that day, the Fair itself. But one of the first things I noticed was that not only was the Fair smaller, the parade itself had fewer entrants and the crowd lining the route was thinner.

Shutter speed 1/800     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

No parade would would be complete without veterans.

Shutter speed 1/500     f/7.1     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

Coming up behind bagpipers was BHM.

Shutter speed 1/640     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 80mm

Here are the boys parading right in front of the site of the magazine. Notice the sign in the background? Notice how shamelessly I plug the magazine?

Shutter speed 1/640     f/8     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

Another thing every parade needs is pretty girls. These are the Gold Beach High School Cheer Section.

Shutter speed 1/640     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

And there were politicians…

Shutter speed 1/640     f/8     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

…Shriners…

Shutter speed 1/640     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 75mm

…old cars (I loved this one)…

Shutter speed 1/500     f/7.1     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

…pretty girls on horse…

Shutter speed 1/640     f/8     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

…and a contingent to clean up behind the horses.

Shutter speed 1/1000     f/7.1     ISO 100     focal length 170mm

Near the end of the parade was the 4-H contingent. Though a small part of the parade, they are a big part of the Fair.

Shutter speed 1/640     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

One of the most intriguing parade entries was two of the guys who made up part of the Street Drum Corps that would perform at the Fair. More about these guys, later.

Shutter speed 1/640     f/8     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

Bringing up the rear of the parade were the fire engines and I wished I’d had earplugs. However, they were nice to see.

Shutter speed 1/640     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

And in less than 25 minutes, the parade had passed me by. I told you, it was a small parade.

Shutter speed 1/800     f/9     ISO 100     focal length 70mm

Next, the Fair itself.