|
 We look forward to the fair more than any other
event each year; though it be with some fear, awe and angst due to
the enormity of spending nine days straight on the grounds from
early till late every day. And… we always try to outdo our past
coverage.
LDN has eight seasoned staff and writers lined up for this year, who
will be doing our best to cover all the things we can. LDN also has
six office staff working intensely behind the scenes, recording all
the happenings in the daily editions of LDN, and compiling one
giant, full color, progressive online magazine [2021 Logan County
Fair, 422 pages
http://archives.
lincolndailynews.com/reference/
2021_Fair/index.html that will remain available for years to
come in our magazine rack.
Maybe you’d enjoy checking out the rack to see some of the past
Logan County Fair events. Once the rack is open, use the scroll bar
on the bottom to see all the magazines from left to right.
http://
reference.lincolndailynews.com/
magazines/index.shtml
We’re taking a moment to share why the Logan County Fair is special
to us. Of course, this is merely a narrow scope of all you would
find to do – see - hear – taste – smell - feel and experience at the
Logan County Fair and individual tastes count. But we hope you will
be inspired to make at least one trip, or more, maybe even go every
day to find your favorites and make memories of a lifetime.
From Derek Hurley:
I think one of the most memorable parts of the county fair comes at
the very end. One of the first things I covered for the fair was the
4H Project Auction. On the last day of the fair, the children in 4H
that win prizes for their livestock sell their animals at an
auction. Individuals and businesses come together to show support
for the youth by bidding on the animals, and help them gain valuable
experiences. I'm not a farmer, but I know how hard these kids work
to raise their animals and bring them out to be judged.
It's hard to stand in front of others and be judged
on our accomplishments, and I think it means a lot that so many
people come and show their support, even if that just means
observing. It's not necessarily my favorite part of the fair, but I
definitely always remember it, and I think that's why I keep
covering the event. The auction isn't the biggest show for the fair,
which is admittedly a nice bonus. It's not as crowded as a concert
or a race or a tractor pull. But it has a lot of heart, and I think
that's pretty special.
From Nila Smith
Nila Smith, a farm girl at heart. You can take the girl off the
farm, but you can’t take the farm out of her:
All the staff at Lincoln Daily News knows that when the Logan County
Fair comes around, they will find Nila in the livestock show barn. I
have a passion for the beef and swine shows because those are the
animals I grew up with and know from nose to tail. I also enjoy the
small animal shows and the demo derby, which is always a MUST-SEE
for me.
But I struggle to single out a particularly good memory because I
have so many, almost all of them revolving around the kids in the
show barn with their animals. I remember
with fondness watching those young men and women grow up.
When I first met him, Troy Rawlings was just a
youngster with a mischievous grin on his face. Today he is a grown
man, still involved with the beef shows at the Logan County Fair.
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I was probably as proud as her parents when Molly Schempp was chosen
as a Logan County Fair Queen. I had watched her, and her brother
Cavit grow up at the fair. The two always made a point of coming to
visit with me in the show barn, and I was touched when their mom
Cindy told me that there was a photo of me in every fair scrapbook
the kids made.
I remember with fondness the late Wayne Coffey, the superintendent
of the 4-H rabbit shows. He showed such care for the young people
and offered them his wisdom and guidance.
One of my favorite memories was the year I watched a young woman
show her pig. As she exited the arena, her handlers attended to her
animal while she pulled off her belt and handed it to another young
woman who had none. In the show barn, pride of dress is essential,
and I was quite moved and still am by that sense of camaraderie that
exists in the show barns.
I could tell many more stories, and I'm sure there will be more
memories as I continue to visit those show barns each year. The
young people that are a part of those shows are the best of the
best, and I'm proud to be able to document their history for Lincoln
Daily News.
From Karen Hargis:
What do I love about the fair? Well, for me it is about the people
and the food.
Everyone comes to the fair for a good time. It's a time to celebrate
the hard work folks have put into the entries they have brought for
judging; win or lose. It's a time to catch up with people you don't
see any other time of year. It's a fun place to see families playing
together and enjoying the simpler, slower pace of life. It's a place
where you get a greater sense of community, a bond with the best
part of our labors and celebration of the life we live together.
I really do love taking pictures at the fair; trying to capture real
life in action. In doing, so we capture a piece of ourselves. We
identify with those around us that life is full of situations we get
to maneuver through. Whether we win or lose, make good or bad
decisions, have triumphs or trials there is a rhythm that carries us
through life together...and we are stronger for it.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the food. After all,
eating is one of my favorite things to do! Plus, when you think
about it, all our food comes from the farm to our fork. But if I
didn't get my "fair food fix" I would not be a happy camper because
that would mean I would have to wait another year to get it. Nothing
against other fairs and festivals, it just would be the Logan County
Fair.
[LDN]
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