DELAWARE STATE FAIR...

Fair value, fair price Folks in Harrington see mostly upside in Delaware State Fair

By DAN SHORTRIDGE • The News Journal • July 31, 2010

The Delaware State Fair attracts roughly 300,000 visitors to tiny Harrington over the course of 10 days. (The News Journal/GARY EMEIGH)

Dorman Kocher has lived in Harrington for 20 of his 66 years, most of them in his tall brown house alongside U.S. 13.
Most of the time, the highway is quiet, seldom getting clogged except when a train comes through and blocks the road for a few minutes.But for 10 days each summer, the road in front of Kocher's house becomes jam-packed -- when the Delaware State Fair opens its tents, which it did last week.For most Delawareans, the state fair means livestock competitions, glad-handing politicians, carnival rides and deep-fried foods. But for the 3,500 souls in Harrington, it means the transformation of their rural town into a metropolis, as roughly 300,000 visitors stream to and from the fairgrounds, day and night. It means quiet evenings shattered by fireworks and country music concerts -- and also being able to watch and listen from their back yards, for free.



Kathy Cagle, owner of Ocean Fresh Seafood on U.S. 13, welcomes the extra business the state fair brings. (The News Journal/GARY EMEIGH)



"When it comes to town, it's hard to get out of my driveway -- that's what it means to me," Kocher chuckles, standing on his front porch overlooking the road. "We usually sit out here and watch the traffic."Harrington is a community in transition, having seen significant commercial growth along the highway corridor. But there also is a small downtown area, hidden from those who just pass by on 13. The downtown district boasts a florist, antique shop, several restaurants, a furniture shop, appliance store, bank and clothing shop -- a far cry from the vacant storefronts that dot the streets of other towns along U.S. 13.But the fair -- though it's not within the town limits -- projects Harrington's presence beyond its borders, giving it a well-known name and identity. Blue banners hung from telephone poles along Clark Street proudly declare: "Harrington: Home of the Delaware State Fair."