Wellington band doughnuts remain a staple at Lorain County Fair

WELLINGTON — For the Wellington Dukes Marching Band, it's literally "time to make the doughnuts." The band's signature fundraiser and Lorain County Fair staple for more than 60 years is back: The Wellington Band Doughnut Booth. Over fair week, teen volunteers — joined by school staff and parental volunteers — will make and sell more than 65,000 of the freshly rolled and lard-fried confections to raise upward of $20,000 for the band. On Aug. 9, Band Booster President Kristen Hill and Vice President Anthrina Leonardi were joined by a handful of band members to clean out the booth ahead of the fair's Sunday opening. The group scrubbed serving trays and prep stations and power washed the booth to sparkling perfection ahead of the busy week. The doughnut booth started first as a tent in the late 1950s, Hill said, and gained a permanent home at the fair in its namesake white booth in 1964. The doughnuts are only available at the Lorain County Fair and the Dukes' first home football game Friday, where the volunteers will truck over dozens of boxes of the pastries for sale at the concession stand, Hill said. Selling at the concession stand is relatively new, she said. Two years ago, volunteers brought over 30 dozen doughnuts for sale at the football game and sold out in less than 10 minutes, Hill said. This year they're planning to bring over about 100 dozen to stock for the half-time rush. The Dukes' 33 band members are required to work a certain number of shifts at the booth, the boosters said. The rest of the 320 shifts are filled by alumni, parent volunteers and some special appearances by principals, the band director and superintendent. Their busiest day at the fair is Thursday, Hill said, thanks to the rush of clientele from senior citizen and veteran day and the county tractor pull in the evening. Asked the special ingredient that keeps visitors coming back to the booth year after year and going so far as to ship the doughnuts out of state or freeze them for the holidays, the boosters guessed it was the frosting, purchased from a company in Strongsville, and the lard the pastries are fried in. "We're very grateful to the community for supporting us as much as they do," Hill said. Available flavors are vanilla, chocolate, maple, vanilla or chocolate sprinkled, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or plain. It is $1 per doughnut, $5 for a half-dozen, or $10 for a dozen. Funds go toward the Wellington High School Marching Band. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.