Growing Up In Sedalia Here’s How You Knew Summer Was Ending

Growing up we all experienced signs that summer was ending. It didn't matter if you grew up here in Sedalia, another town in West Central Missouri, or even like I did somewhere else. There were those events, traditions, and experiences that just highlighted that summer's freedom was about over.

When I asked the question "When you were a kid, what was a sign summer was coming to an end?" one of the most frequent answers was The State Fair. That makes sense too, the fair ended a week ago, and on Tuesday morning Sedalia 200 students will be starting another school year. In fact, the Smith-Cotton Tigers won their first game of the 2021 high school football season Friday night.

I can totally relate to that. In the Chicago area, one of the traditions of summer was the parish carnival. Every parish held one at some point of the summer. Ours was the last one of the summer, taking place the last week in August through Labor Day.  By the time Labor Day weekend hit you knew the carnival would be leaving soon and you'd be back in class starting another school year.

Here in Sedalia, Labor Day and the start of the school year played heavily in signifying the end of the summer when you were a kid. Here's what you told me on Facebook:

A big chief tablet, the smell of a new box of crayons, and having to wear shoes! -Gail Bormann

Shopping for school supplies and clothes. -Tricia Shackles Adair

Back to school clothes shopping with grandma. - Skye Lefebvre

Back to school shopping, end of our family trips, no more firefly catching in the garden... -Tosha Clevenger

Labor Day weekend..... -Mike Lewis

Of course, there were some other signs as well:

Jerry Lewis Telethon -Kelly Glascock

When the corn starts turning brown. -Chad Dennis

Swimming pools closed. -Carol Perry

Cotton Picking Time. -Cathey E. Weeks Schrader

The dang locusts constantly buzzing like they are now. -Teresa Viebrock

Even as an adult many of these signs of the end of summer are still relevant. Like back-to-school shopping. The only difference might be that box of crayons is your kid's. And for many of us, The Missouri State Fair and Labor Day are two sure signs that the days are getting shorter and that soon enough the buzzing of the locusts will be replaced with the smell of fires in the fireplace.