Fair games: Waste of money or worth the fun?

Some people go to the Queen City Exhibition for the food, others for the rides, but David Critchley goes for the games.

With his two-year-old son in his arms, Critchley said he brought him to the exhibition to keep the tradition going.

“He liked (the alligator game), he had fun,” said Critchley. “He won a red (stuffed animal), but he wanted a blue one.”

But win or lose, he said that’s the fun of it.

“If you win, you get a fun little toy, and if you don’t, then it just cost you $5,” Critchley laughed.

In the grand scheme of things, five bucks was nothing for Critchley because he brought $400 to spend on games at the exhibition.

“There’s no sense in being cheap — it’s the fair,” he said. “You’ve got to spend a little bit of money, have some fun and take your family out.”

Unlike Critchley, many other fair-goers said the games were a waste of money. However, several of those same people admitted to playing them for the sake of their kids and the overall nostalgia.

The Queen City Exhibition wraps up Sunday.