Fairgoers mingle in an aisle full of carnival games during the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo in Redmond on July 31, 2021.

From funnel cake food comas, to a dizzying amount of vendors, to a nighttime light show presented by Go Drone Shows, the Deschutes County Fair can be overwhelming for any first timer.

According to the fair’s website, it is the largest event in Central Oregon. From Aug. 2-6, more than 100 volunteers can help guide you along the way.

Kathleen Curtis, membership engagement director for the fair, has managed the information booth at the fair for the past couple of years and says the event can be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with it. This year they will have two information booths compared to one to help people navigate their experience.

“This year, we have almost doubled the amount of on-grounds entertainment with local acts,” Curtis said. “I think we’ve got four stages that are going to be busy all day long into the night.”

While fair goers look forward to the spectacle each year, so do the volunteers.

“It can be a bit overwhelming with the amount of people that are contacting (her) in May and saying ‘Don’t forget me! I want to do it again this year.’” Curtis said, “So it turns out it’s a pretty positive experience for the people that do volunteer their time.”

Karen McBride, a longtime volunteer for the fair, has been putting in the work and returning to the fair since 1999. While her children urge her to retire, the 64-year-old woman stays for the community it has built around her.

“You just get to meet people that you never would talk to before,” McBride said. “The fair has always just been a magical thing to me.”

McBride works as the assistant director of the open class exhibits that have roots in what a traditional fair entails, ranging from homemade pies and agriculture, to longterm craft projects. McBride has seen it all while putting entries into the fair books and judging with her colleagues.

She enjoys people watching the most when it comes to the day of the fair and seeing reactions to how their entries ranked. She specifically remembers a story of a daughter helping her mother enter 52 items into the fair after undergoing a hard surgery.

Their story is what McBride refers to when talking about the “magic” the fair brings to the community.

“There’s nothing better than seeing the hope and possibility and her face,” McBride said. “ … You get to share your excitement of what you did with people you don’t even know, and they’re excited for you.”

McBride said that she enjoys being behind the scenes of the fair and is eager to see it all come together.