Login
Enroll
Back to Top

Director's Corner, Monday, August 4, 2025

Monday, August 4, 2025

I Wanna Dance with Somebody 

Clock strikes upon the hour
And the sun begins to fade
Still enough time to figure out
How to chase my blues away
I've done alright up 'till now
It's the light of day that shows me how
And when the night falls, loneliness calls

Oh, I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me

Today was a day campers and staff look forward to all year long: the Wisconsin State Fair! This fair is an excellent out-of-camp trip for many reasons. It offers a unique experience and a refreshing break from our routine, making it one of my personal favorites.

Going to the fair allows us to enjoy a wider range of culinary experiences than we might normally have. Of course, no matter where we are, we're still in the Beber community, so we kept our food choices kosher and nut-free. We absolutely did not keep it fried food-free, though!

The fair offers a plethora of activities and sights for campers to enjoy. There are spirited pig races, cow milking, and barns filled with prize animals, including cows, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and bunnies, all for their viewing pleasure.

Campers and staff can enjoy games and rides, including the ever-popular Giant Slide, where they climb several stairs, hop on a burlap mat, and whiz down a bumpy slide to the bottom. The scenic Sky Way allows campers in groups of two to traverse the entire fair from high above, providing a beautiful aerial view of the fairgrounds.

The Wisconsin State Fair is also home to the world's largest traveling Ferris wheel!

Shopping is also a crowd favorite at the fair, with marketplaces and booths selling interesting trinkets and wares. The indoor Expo Center offers some refreshing air conditioning and features rows of booths offering a variety of gadgets and products for campers to choose as souvenirs. Some favorites included animal shirts, Jibbitz, glittery eyeshadow, and fidgets. Some campers even tried the water massage, massage chairs, and comfy outdoor swings!

The fair is especially exciting for those who were once first-session campers and are now CITs or first-year staff. They get to experience the State Fair for the very first time, alongside those of us who may have been five, ten, fifteen, thirty, or even more times!

Highlights of this year's fair food included Island Noodles loaded with veggies, different flavors of milk, classic cheese curds, deep-fried Oreos, frozen bananas, and delicious cream puffs.

I always like to try something new each year, and some fun examples I've enjoyed in the past include brownie waffles, a dill pickle donut, deep-fried Jell-O, Chai Cinnamon Roll Lumpia, and Deep Fried Lemonade Bites.

I've always thought it was fun for counselors to try all sorts of interesting foods alongside the campers. It's great to simply chaperone them as they're drawn along a fun journey, following whatever catches their eye at the next attraction.

Campers are divided into small groups with their friends and one to two staff members who stay with them all day. We have scheduled check-in times at a central meeting location, where leadership staff are present with medical supplies if needed.

Getting nearly 500 people in and out of the park is an impressive feat, but it runs like a well-oiled machine thanks to the hard work of our operations, program teams, and leadership staff.

No matter how much fun the fair is, everyone is always happy to be back at camp after a long day of sunshine, dairy products, and pig races. We returned just in time for long showers, the evening flagpole ceremony, and a delicious dinner of sloppy joes!

After dinner, campers had some GA time to burn off energy and spend time with friends. Tonight, the evening program was the 5-year speeches in Crown Hall. It was a long but incredibly meaningful night. The speeches were everything from funny to serious, with plenty of shout-outs and even a ranking of the camp's bathrooms! We're excited to continue this tradition with our 10-year speeches on Thursday, our last night of camp.

Here is an example of one of the moving speeches given tonight by Bella Sklaver, a 5-year camper from Los Angeles:

"Hi everyone, my name is Bella S. and I'm from Los Angeles, California. When I was thinking about what to write for this speech, I was stuck. How am I supposed to fit five years of Beber magic into one short speech? I know it's a cliché, but it's 100% true. So for my five-year speech, I'm going to give some thank-yous.

Starting with the waterfront, which everyone can agree is one of the best places on camp. To Freya and Charlie, thank you for making the waterfront the amazing place it is. To the operations team, more specifically Julia Bessen, Sam Rhodes, Stacy Greenberg, and Bob, thank you for coordinating my crazy travel schedule. I would not have been able to come to camp this year without you guys. And last but not least, to my cabin. Thank you for everything. We have stuck together through thick and thin over the past five years, and I have had the joy of watching you all grow and thrive. I am so grateful for each one of you, for it is you who have shown me the true definition of love.

Shout out to my counselors Sari Stinson, T2, Fishy, Ella Metzger, Cola, and my mom and dad."

With only a few days left, we had our share of late-night adventures after the evening program. It's amazing to see campers enjoying camp to the fullest, not worrying about the time remaining. Late-night adventures are a special part of the camp experience because they're often unexpected, and counselors get to be creative with activities outside the normal daytime schedule.

What a day of adventure, from the thrilling rides and unique food at the State Fair to the meaningful 5-year speeches in Crown Hall. As the day ends, there’s a real sense of togetherness in the air. The fair was a fantastic way to make new memories and reconnect with friends, and tonight's speeches reminded us of the deep bonds we’ve formed. Just like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” sings, everyone here is finding a sense of belonging and a special connection. Whether it's dancing to music or just sharing a moment with someone who "loves you," these are the feelings that make our time at camp so special.

P.S. Congratulations to the following who knew that song “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” is sung by Justin Timberlake.

  • Brian Berns
  • Ronit Ripes
  • Shayna Plankar
  • Patty Shalhav 
  • Jessica Fonoroff

P.S. - Today’s question: Who sang the song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody”?  Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!