By JOSHUA S. FLESHER
Tribune Chronicle
BURTON - Ten-year-old Natalie Giralomo may have one of the most unique methods of training her pet chicken, Chic-Fil-A, to ''fly.''
Giralomo, whose bird competed in the annual Chicken Flying Contest during opening day Thursday at the Great Geauga County Fair, said she trains Chick-Fil-A on her trampoline at home.
While she didn't take home the title Thursday, the chicken did manage to ''fly'' a distance of 12 feet before fluttering to the ground.
''It's fun to watch a chicken fly,'' she said, holding her hen, but admitted, ''Yeah, it would be fun to win.''
Temperatures reaching into the 90s Thursday did not stop a large first-day crowd from filtering into the Great Geauga County Fair, billed as Ohio's oldest county fair. Visitors also packed into the Small Grandstands to witness one of the fair's most popular events, the Chicken Flying Contest, despite the absence of popular longtime master of ceremonies, Cleveland meteorologist Dick Goddard.
Visitors lined up with their best hens and roosters, waiting for their chance to see how far their birds could ''fly.''
The process is simple: A chicken is loaded into a mailbox perched high, and then it is coaxed out with, what else?, a toilet plunger, before it takes flight. The bird that flutters the longest distance before landing is the winner.
Although the prospect of watching a bird fly is what likely draws most of the crowd, for many of the young children in attendance it is the chance to run around in the dirt, trying to catch the chicken once it lands, that is the best part of the day.
Away from the crowd and excitement of the chicken flying contest, fair-goers enjoyed the fair in their own ways. Some tried to escape the day's heat by sitting in the shade with a homemade milkshake while others rolled around in a large inflatable plastic ball in the middle of a pool.
''We like to look at the exhibits and check out some of the animals,'' said Pat Augusta, adding with a laugh that it is also the fair food that brings her back every year.
She and her husband, Dave, of Newton Falls, have been attending the fair for more than 10 years because they like the size of the fair and, of course, the food.
''The food, and I like to look at the machinery,'' Dave said.
Pat added, ''It's old fashioned and nice.''
For the smaller visitor, the simple pleasure of a milkshake and the animals is enough to keep their attention.
Aiden McNamara, 4, of Solon, said his favorite part of the fair was the animals, especially the cows. Though nothing was going to pull him away from his milkshake.
The fair continues through Labor Day weekend with events and exhibits scheduled throughout the day.
