The County Fair

by Michele Boy | July 28, 2022

What memories do you have of childhood summers? Are they centered around family? Fun? County fairs? 
  We just completed anothercounty fair. My daughter did well. And I am proud of her hard work. But as I am wiped out exhausted, recovering, getting ready for the next show, and putting together the paper and the fair edition, I started looking back on my photo memories from the past years. 
  Nearly all her childhood has included the county fair. From several years in Pee Wee showmanship with older 4-Hers who took time with her, to fair friends who help guide us, the pedal tractor pull, and more. 
It’s a week that changes our lives. It has taught her to work hard for what she wants, to laugh and have fun, to help others, and to try new things. She can be shy around others. So seeing memories from six years ago when she told the livestock judge she wanted to be a princess makes me smile. She always says how much she loves fair.   
  And it comes together because people and businesses donate their time and their financial resources. 
We have taught her to help with preparing and serving the free barbecue. The turtle race would have been fun but like most it was hard to find one in the excessive heat. 
  For someone who grew up all over the place and never had roots, I smile that she has consistent memories at the county fair. She smiles when she looks at the photo memories and often says I miss being that little. That statement is wild to me. I can’t imagine reliving my childhood. 
  I smile that she is comfortable around livestock and is building lifelong skills. And of course I smile when she does well! 
  So if you give $5.00 and an encouraging smile, I am grateful. For those who put in thousands, thank you. And for those who work tirelessly to put the fair on, it is appreciated. 
  As I try to catch up with “after fair,” the mowing the cleaning the prepping for the next things and putting the fair edition together this weekend, I will remember how grateful I am for all of us who come together and share our equipment, 
time, money and friendships to build these incredible memories for our kids. 
  I am struggling a little that this week’s paper has less stories and not quite the newspaper I am accustomed to bringing to the table.  In all honesty I spent the hour before we went to press trying to make it into 12 pages but my husband had to talk me down. 
I have to allow for the fact that there are only so many hours in a week and most of them went to being 4-H mom, fair board member’s wife (which means I am volunteered for extra things), and more. 
  So as the theme for many of us involved with the fair felt this year went - it is what it is.
 Funny though, I think everyone just accepting things had to be changed, moved, and worked together made us all a little more willing to acquiesce to the changes and focus a little more on the bigger picture. Fair is fun.
  In this crazy world with so many tragedies and so many children I can’t help, I am grateful that we as a group and a community did our part to help raise up our kids to add goodness to the world. 
  Nineteen years ago, my boyfriend now husband and I started dating at the county fair. We played mud volleyball, went to a dance, had a couple drinks and a lot of fun memories. Today our fair looks different but the joy is the same... 
 Chris LeDoux sang, “Well there’s a full moon in the western sky,
And there’s magic in the air.
Ain’t nothin’ I know of, can make you fall in love,
Like a night at the county fair.”