If you're not from Fayette or from a neighboring town, there's a 90 percent chance you've never heard of Fayette, Ohio. The massive village is just shy of one square mile and is the home to 1,200 people. Yes, you read that correctly. It might not seem like much if you are driving through, but I promise you, it's the best town in the world (I might be slightly biased).
1. You have opening day of Cruiser's on your calendar.
After those long, cold winter months, it's an exciting day when the local ice cream place opens. I think half the town gets pizza and ice cream on opening day. It's basically a national holiday. It's good, okay?
2. If you want to watch high school football, you have to attend a game at a nearby school.
That's right, Fayette High School does not have football, so if you want to experience Football Friday under the lights, you have to cheer on other schools.
3. Homecoming during the winter is completely normal.
Since there is no football, the homecoming ceremony is during basketball season. Yes, Homecoming, with a King, a Queen, and an attendant and an escort from each class. It's quite the ordeal.
4. You make a big deal about seeing Fayette on the weather map.
I have Snapchatted a picture a time or two when I saw Fayette on the map on the local news because it just doesn't happen often. If there's a story on Fayette, you better believe the whole town is watching and recording it because it's a rare occurrence.
5. You have to drive at least 20 minutes to get fast food.
It's annoying at times, but it's something everyone is used to doing at this point.
6. You celebrate a weed at the town festival.
Most towns have a Corn Fest or an Apple Fest or even a Chicken Fest, but not Fayette. Instead, Fayette has the Bull Thistle Festival. There are even competitions to see who can grow the tallest bull thistle. Yes, I plan on participating in the bull thistle-growing competition. I want that golden shovel!
7. You rarely go to the mall and when you do, it's an all day adventure.
The closest shopping mall is 45 miles away. If you need an emergency outfit for something, chances are you just go to Walmart because it's only 20 miles away.
8. You consider Toledo to be a large city.
Granted, Toledo is pretty big compared to Fayette, but it's nothing compared to Columbus.
9. Your school building is K-12.
It's actually quite normal for high schoolers to have 1st graders in the cafeteria with them during lunch. When people say that their high school had multiple buildings, I get really confused. Like how does that even work?
10. You think that 100 people in a graduating class is big.
When there's only 30 or so in a Fayette graduating class, 100 seems like a lot. When someone says they graduated with 450, you're like, "that's more than Fayette has K-12."
11. Your school is closed the whole week of the county fair.
80 percent of the students show animals, so what's the point of having school? And that one year there was school, everyone complained and skipped anyways.
12. Your Friday and Saturday nights during the winter are full of basketball games.
Even if you're not playing or you don't have kids playing, you're most likely at the game because Fayette is a supportive community. And let's be honest, you have nothing better to do.
13. You either go to The Pizza Place or Freddy's after basketball games.
It doesn't matter if it's a home or an away game, the students go to The Pizza Place for pizza boats and the adults go to Freddy's for a burger and a beer (or a few).
14. You have to explain where you live by using other places as landmarks.
"I'm from a really small town 45 miles west of Toledo."
15. You need support, you got it.
Fayette is one of the most supportive communities in the world. The town rallies together when someone is in need, just like a family. No one ever stands alone.
No matter where life takes me, I will always consider Fayette to be my home. There is nothing like growing up in a small town. I wouldn't trade my one-stoplight hometown for the world.
