Food can do more than feed a person’s stomach; it can take the individual back to a place or memory of a person no longer alive.       “Every time I eat a beet, I think of my grandma. My grandma always had beets growing in her garden.”

That is what Steve McGuire, former Wichita State student and superintendent of the vegetable show at the 2014 Sedgwick County Fair, said while showing off his prize-winning beets in the Vegetable Barn.

Themed “4-H Dynasty,” the 2014 Sedgwick County Fair, held in Cheney, stressed the legacy of agriculture, leadership, and family.

“My grandfather was on the original fair board in the 1930s,” Marti Johnson said.     

Johnson, the vice president of the Sedgwick County Fair, said she does quite a few things in order to live on the legacy set forth by her grandfather.

“I handle all of the advertising, the communication, and all of the social media of the fair. I am essentially the voice of the Sedgwick County Fair,” she said.

Part of that position is making sure the public knows about the many attractions make up the 2014 Sedgwick County Fair.

Over a three-day period, fairgoers traveled to the fairgrounds for a variety of attractions, including a demolition derby, helicopter rides, an amateur barbecue eating contest and a performance from upcoming country artist Logan Mize on Thursday.

All of this started early last Wednesday morning with the 4-H Horse Show, signifying a three-day course of events that was sure to provide fun and entertainment from dawn until dusk.

“We have a very diversified environment that is a very wholesome place for everyone to come and have fun,” Johnson said.

For some long-time fair visitors, however, the fair has been evolving, and this year it is no different.

“I’ve been bringing things to the fair since 1976,” Steve McGuire said. “This year, we don’t have as many participants.”

Patrons navigating throughout the campgrounds were able to choose from many booths of entertainment, food, and retail goods, ranging from barbecue and freshly made honey to airbrushed tattoos and skin products.

A fairgoer would also have the opportunity to have a freshly drawn caricature done of themselves, provided they stop by the bright yellow tent near the south entrance of the carnival.

“I’ve been doing caricatures for the past 13 years,” Jared Layser said.

Layser, a Pennsylvania native and owner of The California Boys Caricature Entertainment, said his love for caricature artwork has been able to take him all over the country.

“I started at a theme park when I was in high school…I have actually been traveling pretty much full-time for the past 6 years, and I have owned my own business for the past three years.”    

After living in a few larger cities, one thing about Wichita truly stood out to him.    

“I would like to live in a city like Wichita,” Layser said. “I love the open sky here.”

For other fairgoers, the list of favorite activities to do at the fair never seemed to end.

Even after a short time, one activity stood out to a WSU chemistry senior, Sarah Westerson.

“I’ve only been here [Saturday night], but the hypnosis show was pretty cool,” Waterson said.

Overall, the fair seemed to deliver on its mission to fulfill its legacy of fun for the entire family, at least according to Johnson.

“We pride ourselves on having a little bit of something for everybody,” Johnson said.