Read more: Local, Economy, Agriculture, Community, Tourism, Consumer, Lucas County Fair, Findlay, Family, Tradition, Funnel Cakes
MAUMEE, OHIO -- Thousands of faces appear every year at the Lucas County Fair, some new ones and some familiar ones. And some are more familiar than others, like the Stevens family of Findlay who have been offering games and goodies on the midway for the past 47 years at the Lucas County fair. They are longest running vendors at the event.
This year the five brothers have 9 different stands, ranging from games, like the Duck Pond, to the Funnel Cakes and Elephant Ear food concessions. Ryan Stevens who runs a lemonade and Italian Sausage stand says it all began back in 1963 by his great grandfather George Stevens and has continued ever since.
Ryan and his brothers say they are very busy from May through October setting up stands at a variety of area fairs and events and during the winter months they spend their time planning and getting ready for the next year. The brothers say they have never known any other job. "I was growing up here on the road. My Dad was bringing me here when I was a just a week old. I am 34 years old now and have been doing this all my life, " says Mike Stevens who was busy on Friday squeezing fresh lemons at the lemonade stand which has been on the same spot on the midway for the past 35 years. Mike says he is proud of the tradition he and his family have carved out over the past five decades. Ryan Stevens says "we do it, because it's a business and a family tradition and because we enjoy it."
