Couple's Love Story Began At Tulsa State Fair

Jack and Sherry Kovnas marked their 30th wedding anniversary by renewing their wedding vows at the Tulsa State Fair in 2002.

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"Sherri, I take you as my wife, to love in good times as well as bad," said Jack.

Now 18 years later, their love that began at the fair, is stronger than ever. They had their first date at the fair in 1969, and shared their first kiss on the Ferris Wheel.

"I got her to the top, and I said I want to kiss this girl," said Jack. "The rest is history; we stayed together after that."

They said their love story isn't conventional, but it's special. And it all started with a prayer.

"I said if there is a God why can't I meet a girl who will love me for me, and we'll be together for the rest of our life. If there is a God what's wrong with asking for that, and a couple days later I met Sherry," Jack said.

The couple loves the fair so much they even created their own booth called God's Creation. Jack paints beautiful pictures and scriptures on finished stones and rocks, and Sherry sells homemade jewelry. They've traveled all over the country, with their kids, selling their work.

"We would pick areas to take our kids, took 'em to upstate New York, we went parasailing up on Lake George," said Jack.

"Our kids pretty much grew up around the fair. They were just little babies when we first started at the fair, " Sherry said.

This is the first time in 36 years the couple won't be selling their artwork at Expo Square, and they say it feels like a piece of them is missing.

"We really stocked-up on some new items that we were going to have," said Sherry.

"We are also going to be looking to do more sales online, so I am still working on inventory, as well as she is," Jack said.

Over the years, they've made a lot friends.

"We have our regulars that come by to see us every year. They stop and talk and say 'oh I couldn't find you for a minute, it wouldn’t be the fair if I couldn’t find you'," said Sherry.

"People are our priority, not just making the money there at the fair," Jack said.

The couple is already looking forward to 2022, when they'll celebrate 50 years of marriage, and they plan to renew their vows once again at the fair because every time they see a Ferris Wheel, it takes them back to how it all began.

"We were like two kids running around to all the vendors holding hands and having a good time," said Jack.