Bingo is back, and so is the Firemen's Fair

KENT — It was a fun time for all who attended the annual Firemen’s Fair, which was held at the Kent Fairgrounds from Thursday, Aug. 26, to Saturday, Aug. 28.

The fair offered activities for all ages, with some carnival rides hair-raising enough for teens and others that were gentle enough for youngsters.

Bingo was back by popular demand after a hiatus of several years.

Other popular attractions included a frog-jumping contest, live music, food and fireworks.

On Friday there was a parade featuring the Kent Volunteer Fire Department and 25 different departments from the Tri-state area.

While attendance numbers for the three-day fair were not available at press time, the weather was nice and clear all weekend — unlike last year’s, when the weekend was rainy and muddy.

The event is a fundraiser for the Kent Volunteer Fire Department, and Chief Eric Epstein said he appreciates the support from the community and was very glad to get such good weather.

Department member Kathy McCann has volunteered at many of the carnivals throughout the years and has also served as a cook at the department’s food stand.

“The community always helps us out a lot,� McCann said. “We have received donations from them for quite a number of years. It’s great to come out to the fair. Especially for the fried dough.�

Kent resident Caralee Rochovansky helped with the bingo games, which had to be discontinued for a while because of state regulations.

“People just love bingo,� Rochovansky said. “Is there a strategy for bingo? Some say it’s mostly luck. I don’t know why people love it, but they do.�

Local legend has it that one of the biggest fans of the fair’s bingo sessions is Kent’s own Henry Kissinger.