Annual Youth Fair a proud tradition

The fair offers a unique chance to visit and learn, to say hello and to soak up the uniqueness that is a county fair.

Fairs, rodeos and parades are American traditions.

We come to display and to view the varied 4-H and youth exhibits, the animals, the crafts, and the food.

For civic clubs, fairs also provide a chance to bolster their coffers, raising funds for their many worthy endeavors. Often, their largest fundraiser of the year comes from fair food sales.

It all combines into a slice of Americana unlike anything else.

Displays of exhibits, rows and rows of crafts, the animals and their proud owners are a testament to years of hard work, preparation and expense leading up to this moment.

Family members, neighbors and friends enter the competition each year.

Then there are the horse shows and rodeos. Not all fairs may have a rodeo, but most have a horse show. And that tradition is every bit as ingrained as any other in the lore of county fairs.

Then there are the beauty pageants and baby contests. County fairs are often the first opportunity for aspiring hopefuls before a group of people. Everyone who enters can feel like he or she is a winner at the fair.

You can also find other types of events across the country, varied as our local traditions and heritages, from cars and trucks in the demolition derby, to tractor and truck pulls to those that center exclusively on our youth.

Year after year, the county fair tradition has survived. Some states and areas have fared better than others, but in many county seats, the fair has endured.

Some have changed, from updating the buildings to the lineups to the entertainment, some have kept the carnival while others have chosen not to, but most have retained the same format.

We're fortunate to have the excellent facilities we enjoy and the large groups of volunteers who work tirelessly to make our edition such a success.

Regardless of the passing of years, the fair continues.

And that's as it should be.

Fairs are who we are and hearken us back to the traditions of our heritage and culture. They are a great way to honor hard work as we marvel at the talent of our youth and our community.