Fair Remembrance: The Fair Art of Candy Apple Making, Cotton Candy Spinning & Ice Cream

This Retro Pic(s) of the Day story was originally published on Aug. 25, 2015. It is being run again in honor of the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair, which would have been running this week. On a historic summer without the fair, we remember how some fair traditions got started, like lost fair art of candy apple making, waffle ice cream sandwiches. Then there’s the art of spinning cotton candy, something that was formerly mastered and commandeered by the late Millie Felsmann, also the champ of candy apple making. This is how they did it and continue to do it at the fair … Until we meet again at the Out Back in 2021 …

When it came to cotton candy — that fluffy spun light blue and pink sugar on a cone that melts in your mouth, on your mouth and many times on your hands, too — Millie Felsmann was the pro at the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair.

Don’t get us wrong, here. We know that Millie also commandeered the candy apple making. Yes, Candy Bennett was there, too — for many hours a day, making and selling those candy apples, apropos name and all. And, in another Retro Pic of the Day from 2015, we touted her as the candy apple lady.

Well, she was — she was Candy, the candy apple lady. Yes, Candy had a lot do do with those candy apples — but Millie was the boss. She, along with her troupe of kids and Candy, Betty Acker and Mrs. Frank, started work on those apples as early as 6:30 a.m.. And, even further back, to 1965 or 66, Mrs. Topfer made those apples, too.

How do ya like them apples? Pretty well, thanks. They were mighty tasty. I was partial to the dental filling-yanking caramel ones with the nuts on the top. And the proof of the love that went into crafting those thousands (yes, thousands) of good-for-you fruits cloaked in sugar and goo showed in the first bite — down to the stick-pierced core. That’s why they the making of them started at the crack of dawn. The candy apples are no longer part of the fair tradition. Ice cream was a little easier to stick to without sticking in the teeth.

We can’t forget those waffle ice cream sandwiches made on that candy apple, cotton candy, ice cream half of the booth. That’s where another Felsmann came in — Trudy.

She’s still working in the ice cream section of The Out Back. And she’s always there to fetch you a soft serve cone with a smile.

Trudy Felsmann at the ice cream counter at Fair Haven Firemen's Fair 2013 Photo/Elaine Van Develde — Trudy Felsmann at the ice cream counter at Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair 2013
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

Ray Bennett, Candy’s husband, tells us that the candy apple crew made 1,200 of those apple delights a day and sold them for 25 cents at night. Wow. “It was big money back then,” he said.

The job with those apples, was to shine, core and stick those sticks in them. The dippers were the adults, Bob Frank reminded all. Then they all sat on wax paper until cool enough to wrap and stack.

Wrapping was a premium job, which required top approval for promotion. “It was a big deal to get promoted to wrapping the cooled apples,” Connor Kelly reminded us.

And, I, myself, recall how serious Millie Felsmann was about spinning that cotton candy. I tried it a few times. It’s all in the wrist. And, boy, did she know how to spin that stuff!

As I recall, the trick was to put the cone down and around into that machine, while twirling … and then up and a big spin and out to the happy kid on the end of it. It was tricky. That fluffy stuff could get away from you very easily. If it did, you were covered in it. And it stuck — to everything!

Yes, Millie Felsmann had the knack. She had it down.

Here’s to Millie Felsmann — the queen boss lady of cotton candy spinning and apple making. And, here’s to all of those helpers and fine fair ladies who stood by her side!

There are plenty of Felsmanns still serving the fire company and the fair. You’re bound to run into one of them. If you remember, tell them. Have you thanked a cotton candy spinner, candy apple maker or ice cream lady lately?