50 years of sweet service

OTTAWA - Judy Spitnale remembers the time it snowed at the Putnam County Fair.

"I think the fairs were in October then," she said. Working inside her snow cone and cotton candy concession stand, Spitnale said she has been working at the Putnam County fair for 50 years.

"I married into the concession stand business," she said. Her husband Harry was a second generation concession stand owner.

Spitnale said they have always had the same location under the grandstand. "I'm not sure why they put us here at the start," she said. "At first it had been labeled as a coat check area. That's kind of funny in June when it is hot to think they used to need an area for people to check their coats."

Spitnale said when the fair was in the fall she would often play her radio inside the concession stand to listen to the World Series.

In addition to the Putnam County Fair Spitnale Concessions would travel to street fairs, farm steam show and other events in the area.

"We also had kiddies rides for about 15 years," Spitnale.said

Spitnale recalled her mother fixing big picnics to take to the fair when she was growing up.. "I think people had tailgate parties and would eat of the trunk of their cars," she recalled.

She is amazed at how much money the kids now have to spend at the fair. "When I was a kid we didn't have money like that to spend. Now they seem to have  money to spend on food, games and other things at the fair," she said.

Judy is assisted by her four daughters and two sons-in-laws. "I also have 5 grandchildren,' she added proudly. "I couldn't keep doing this without my family's help."