Serving up good food and always with a smile are the 2021 Fort Bend County Fair honorees Renee Butler and her son Nicholas Maresh. This dynamic duo has been a force behind many catered events and well beyond the serving line. As the Fair strives to return to the tradition of Fair Days, Renee and Nicholas are engrained with being part of the Fair. As a family, they are a hidden treasure among the many Fort Bend County Fair supporters. Their work has spanned over decades of catering Fair functions, creating elaborate feasts, and most importantly, feeding the extended fair family on countless occasions. “Being named Fair Honoree is like winning the lottery; we are so honored,” says Butler.
Renee is the owner/operator of Another Time Soda Fountain and Café. Nicholas is a trained Chef who has a passion for pastry creations. “I grew up here in Fort Bend County. So, the Fair was a big thing for me to do,” shares Butler, who began coming to the Fair at its original location in Rosenberg off Hwy 90. “We got the day off from school. My mom would also take the day off, and she would take us to where my daddy worked, which was right along the parade route. So every year we went to the parade, then we would go to the Fair that first night, we saw the fireworks and it was free. Everybody under the sun was there.” Renee remembers she and her brother would get new outfits and, in some years, new cowboy hats, just for fair days. These early memories have evolved through the years as Renee grew up going to the Fair every year and took her own family.
Renee has prepared, set up, and served hot meals for guests ranging from 30 to over 200 in attendance, from chicken fried steak to smothered pork chops. Her signature top-quality good taste and large serving portions are always presented with a greeting and a smile as you make your way through the serving line. Renee says her commitment to the Fair is profound, “It is because of the friendships I have gained from the Fair family, and it is because of what the Fair represents. These kids are doing the right thing; they are positive; every kid, whether they are the winner or an entry, they have a sense of accomplishment. If the kids make it to the Fair, they are already a winner.”
The mom and son’s commitment to events, fair activities, and committees such as the Expectational Rodeo, a rodeo for kids living with physical and intellectual disabilities, are beyond appreciated. “I love the Fair. The Exceptional Rodeo, you can truly see the good; the joy in those kids is what it is all about. The people, the kids, it is all good, and it makes you want to be a part of it,” says Nicholas, who has been providing breakfast delicacies for the Exceptional Rodeo since its inception. “I am committed, and I am even taking the day off this year to help. I am excited.”
As Fair Honorees, the culinary duo will be honored throughout the Fair’s run. There is no slowing down, as they will continue to cater from sponsorship dinners to receptions. In addition, Nicholas, his wife Michelle, and big sister Avery are awaiting the arrival of a baby girl in October. As for the new baby’s involvement in the Fair, Grandmother Renee shared, “I am ready to go ride the Ferris Wheel with her. But, of course, daddy thinks she is ready for Mutton Bustin; we will get the forms filled out just in case!”
Renee has been an author and advocate for preserving history in the Fort Bend County area. “It all started with my daddy. My daddy would come into the restaurant, standing with his arms crossed, ‘you got a good crowd in here today, Renee’, and I would say so-so was in here, and they were telling me a story of such and such and my daddy would tell me to write it down.” For Renee and few other historians, that is precisely what they did and published a book, Images of American Historic Downtown Rosenberg. “Keep downtown a small town, no matter how big it gets. Keeping those hometown roots, that is Fort Bend County, that is the Fair, you still get that feeling because of the Fair. Hometown roots. Everyone cares for everyone else,” says Butler.
Going to the Fair is something both Renee and Nicholas do every year. As for Renee’s favorite part of the Fair, she says, “My favorite part of the Fair is something different every year, but the families, the family vibe that always draws me back. No matter if I was 7-years old, or now taking my 80-year-old mother, it is the ‘familiness’ of the Fair that you get to be part of every year. I took mom to John Conlee, and it was so simple; she got to meet him and listen to him. She took me when I was little, and now I am taking her to the Fair and walking around with her. It is the family vibe.”
As for this year’s Fair, Renee and Nicholas are looking forward to it as they do every year. “We are Fort Bend County, we are always Fort Bend County, we will always be Fort Bend County,” says Renee. But, she adds, “We are still home. No matter how much Fort Bend County has grown, we are still home. You still have kids raising animals; we have fair queens, it is hominess, and its home. The Fair is our home.” The Fort Bend County Fair will run from September 24 to October 3. See you at the Fair!
