Husband and wife Gary and Mary Allyn have grown up in Pierce County, have been going to the fair for decades and have each spent over 10 years as building guards.

“We’ve been going to the fair ever since we were born practically,” Gary said. “I think Pierce County probably has the best fair around.”

Gary’s cousin Kenny Hines, who worked at the fairgrounds, asked if Gary was looking to be a building guard, and he got started around 14 years ago. A year later, Mary followed suit.

On the job, Gary is a building guard for the Round Barn, and Mary is stationed in the Home Economics area.

“I think our fairgrounds is one of the nicest for a small town,” Mary said. “It’s very well-kept.”

The Pierce County Fair is as much of a communal get together as it is an event-filled weekend. Both Mary and Gary enjoy seeing people that they may only talk to once a year at the fair.

“You get to see people that you haven’t seen forever. You chat with them, and of course, you make your rounds and make sure kids aren’t destroying something,” Gary said with a laugh.

Mary submits paintings to the fair every year, which is something that means a lot to her. Many of her paintings are of local buildings or farms, including a painting of the Ellsworth Rod & Gun Club that has a print of it hanging at the Rod & Gun. She has a friendly competition with another local painter.

“He’ll come with something great and I’m like crap,” Mary joked.

Gary said when they were young, the fairgrounds seemed to go on for miles, leading to some great memories. Mary recalled her early teenage years when a boy won her a teddy bear. At the time, teddy bears were stuffed with straw. The two said they used to pay $0.50 to get in, but as kids, that was all the money they had.

Gary worked for the Fire Department for a period of time, so he fondly remembers being stationed at the demolition derbies in case of a fire.

“When we were kids, there wasn’t a whole lot of buildings up there for the 4-H and for the cattle and stuff like that,” Gary said. “The county really has done a good job in putting buildings.”

“I always would go out and make some extra money, because mom and dad were not going to give me a whole lot of money because they’d know I’d just blow it,” Gary said, as he loved to play the carnival games. “I always made sure I had enough money to get a hamburger or something.”

Some other old time staples Gary recalled were horse pulls and daredevil car shows.

“We get to help out at the fair and we get to see people,” Gary said. “The compliments that they give me of how nice the fair is, well that’s nice to hear.”

As a mother of six and a grandma of 10, Mary knows how to keep order in the building. Gary said he enjoys remembering where people’s projects are so when parents ask where their kids’ work is, he can guide them.

“I go around that barn, because it’s a round barn, so many times I end up meeting myself sometimes,” Gary said.

Mary said the parts of the fair she enjoys changes as the years go on, but it has always been a great time.

“Not anymore now because they’re grown up, but I always liked taking the kids to the fair because they loved it,” Mary said. “Or else just pass them money because that’s what they wanted.”