In Norwich, fair draws enthusiastic crowd

Pam Smith, right, laughs as she apologizes to her fellow Norwich Selectboard Member Priscilla Vincent after dunking her during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. “She’s a good sport,” Smith said, noting that she doesn’t usually have a great throw and wasn’t expecting to actually dunk her colleague.(Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Pam Smith, right, laughs as she apologizes to her fellow Norwich Selectboard Member Priscilla Vincent after dunking her during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. “She’s a good sport,” Smith said, noting that she doesn’t usually have a great throw and wasn’t expecting to actually dunk her colleague.(Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. valley news / report for america photographs — Alex Driehaus

Teddy Lauritzen, 3, plugs his ears to block out loud noises from a ride while he and his mother, Leah Lauritzen, of Hartford, Vt., watch for his brother as he rides the Hurricane during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Teddy Lauritzen, 3, plugs his ears to block out loud noises from a ride while he and his mother, Leah Lauritzen, of Hartford, Vt., watch for his brother as he rides the Hurricane during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. valley news / report for america photographs — Alex Driehaus

Eleanor Tietz, 6, of Hartford, Vt., holds on tight while she and her uncle Ronan Moyer, of Winooski, Vt., ride the Sizzler during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Eleanor Tietz, 6, of Hartford, Vt., holds on tight while she and her uncle Ronan Moyer, of Winooski, Vt., ride the Sizzler during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Alex Driehaus

Nava Rolsma, 3, of Lebanon, N.H., has her face painted by Nina Sablan, 17, of Norwich, Vt., during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Nava Rolsma, 3, of Lebanon, N.H., has her face painted by Nina Sablan, 17, of Norwich, Vt., during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich on Saturday, August 12, 2023. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

David Lemal, left, of the Norwich Lions Club, times Arlo Lucas, 8, of Norwich, Vt., as he rides a bike to power an incandescent lightbulb and earn a Snickers bar during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. The ride demonstrates the difference in energy needed to power an incandescent lightbulb versus an LED lightbulb. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

David Lemal, left, of the Norwich Lions Club, times Arlo Lucas, 8, of Norwich, Vt., as he rides a bike to power an incandescent lightbulb and earn a Snickers bar during the Norwich fair on the green in Norwich, Vt., on Saturday, August 12, 2023. The ride demonstrates the difference in energy needed to power an incandescent lightbulb versus an LED lightbulb. (Valley News / Report For America - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Alex Driehaus

By KAELI BENNETT

Valley News Correspondent

Published: 08-14-2023 1:59 AM

NORWICH — Laughter, music and the rumble of carnival rides were hard to miss and resist in downtown Norwich over the weekend.

The annual fair is brought to town by the Lions Club and takes place on the green. This year’s festivities lasted from Thursday to Sunday and boasted 10 rides for fair-goers to enjoy. On a pleasant August Saturday, children could be seen laughing, crying and bustling with excitement on all of them.

Felix Pauli, 5, could barely contain his enthusiasm after getting off the Dizzy Dragon ride with his best friend, Ludo Gleich, also 5.

“My favorite was everything!” Felix shouted over the live music from Tuck’s Rock Dojo of Hanover.

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When asked to point to his favorite ride, Ludo first pointed to a big, spinning contraption with flashing lights. He then changed his mind and pointed to the Funhouse. Then he changed his mind again, overwhelmed with the options.

Felix’s mom, Laurie Pauli, said, “When we told (the kids) where we were going, there was a lot of screaming and bouncing.”

Pauli and Kat Gleich, Ludo’s mom, brought their kids from Lebanon and Grantham, respectively.

“We came last year and my kiddo loved it,” Gleich said.

While Ludo and Felix’s captivated by the fair rides, there were other attractions, including fair food.

Sure enough, half of the green was lined with food vendors ready to give attendees their sweet-smelling fair food, such as: fried dough, cotton candy, caramel apples and ice cream.

The fair’s sugary scents and sounds of joy were what attracted Daphne Greene and her 9-year-old sister Greta.

Daphne, 7, of Norwich, said she was most excited to get some cotton candy.

“We kept driving by and seeing (the rides) — the kids just had to go!” their mother, Leah Fosco, said.

Kaeli Bennett can be reached at kaelibennett34@gmail.com.