Ruth Vermedahl has traveled to China, Japan, Australia and a river cruise from Amsterdam to Belgium, but there’s one place she has been coming back to since the 1970s: the Freeborn County Fair.

“We have friends who want no part of the fair,” Vermedahl said. “We both grew up with fairs, and it’s just one week out of the year. It’s the six best days of summer. That’s a good title for it.”

Vermedahl has worked at the fair since 1979, and she said her first role was to go around asking people how they learned about the fair, whether it was through the Tribune, radio, television, word of mouth and so on.

Soon, she was asked to work in the office.

Vermedahl works in the office during the fair, and one of her main duties is organizing the reserve seating at the grandstand. Parts of that role are opening gates to shows and organizing the work crews.

“Like I’ve said: Once a carnie, I guess you’re always a carnie,” Vermedahl said.

Vermedahl works the week before the fair selling tickets, selling reserve tickets, accepting livestock entries and doing general office work. Her crew of about a dozen people for the shows will come in around 7 p.m. today.

Age: in her 70s

Address: 1027 Cedar Ave, Albert Lea

Livelihood: retired

Family: husband, Claire; daughter, Mandi; son, Ross; daughter-in-law Marcia and grandchildren Joanna, John and Jack

Interesting fact: She has attended Kiwanis International conventions for more than 20 years with her husband, Claire, who worked for Alamco Wood Products Inc. and is an avid Kiwanian. She and Claire enjoy country dancing.

Vermedahl said singer Kellie Pickler’s show has been sold out for months, and she said people will likely be waiting at the grandstand gates the morning before the show. She said that could also happen with Travis Tritt and Little Big Town.

Vermedahl has had the chance to see most of the entertainment at the fair over the years. She said acts such as Alabama, Donnie and Marie Osmond, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire and Don Williams are acts she fondly remembers.

Vermedahl grew up south of Austin, and she attended the Mower County Fair as a member of 4-H. She said that was an important thing when she was growing up.

“I wouldn’t miss that week for anything. That was big stuff,” she said.

Vermedahl married her husband, Claire, in 1957 and later moved to Albert Lea.

Vermedahl said she was the second woman hired at Streater Inc. She worked in the office there until she quit to have her children and then worked part-time jobs and traveled for a number of years.

Vermedahl doesn’t work anymore, but she spends a lot of her time volunteering with things like meals on the go at Albert Lea Medical Center and at United Methodist Church, which she also attends. She also works as an election judge.

She said she looks forward to seing people she doesn’t get the chance to see the rest of the year. She enjoys meeting the people who come to the fair from all over Minnesota and surrounding states.

“That’s what’s fun, to talk to these people,” Vermedahl said.

The grandstand is one of the main attraction at the fairs, Vermedahl said. While prices and the number of entries have changed over the years, she said the grandstand entertainment has kept people coming back to the fair.

“We’ve really had excellent entertainment, and that’s what keeps our fair going. Compared to a free fair like Austin and Owatonna, their grandstands just aren’t like ours,” Vermedahl said.