|
 Not
so long ago, we had the pleasure of visiting with a person who was
not from this part of the world, and much to our surprise learned
that this person really had no idea what a county fair was or why it
was such a big deal in our community.
There were so many aspects of the fair to be talked about, that it
became a lengthy conversation about young people, generations of
families, tradition, and of course that sense of community that
comes with attending the fair.
We run into countless people that we know and have the opportunity
to share a reunion moment with old acquaintances and old friends.
That is a part of the fair that is hard to capture in words. The
feeling of joy we feel when we see that certain people are still out
and about and taking part.
We also enjoy the opportunity to get to know new people, those who
are taking part in the fair, contributing to its success, and
enjoying it as much as we do.
We love watching our 4-H youth as they celebrate
their achievements with fists full of blue ribbons for jobs well
done on their various projects.
The variety is astounding as we look around the fairgrounds and see
that this is one venue where there is truly something for everyone.
This year, that variety includes the traditional aspects, 4-H,
Junior and Open shows in everything from art to animals, and apples
to zucchini. Textiles, photography, baked goods, preserved foods,
field crops, and oh so much more are a part of the fair each year.
Food trucks and vendors line the midway and there are
people who will come to the fair simply to eat, and eat, and eat!
The carnival is always a great place to catch shots of happy
children and adults as they play the games of chance or skill and
ride all the rides they can possibly fit into an evening at the
fair.
Others will be there for the fair pageant, the 4-H
scrambles night, the Wooten Rodeo, tractor pulls, the Demo Derby,
and of course the country music concert on Saturday night featuring
Tracy Byrd and Chris Cagle.
And, before the fair officially begins on Tuesday, there is still a
lot of activity that occurs. The harness racing on Sunday and Monday
is very popular, and some of those 4-H judging events are held on
Saturday and Monday.
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Another fun part of being at the fair, is seeing who
we see, and the question of the day has to be “Did we see YOU
there?” We know there are many who will attend that are our friends
and neighbors, and if their pictures appear in Lincoln Daily News,
all the better.
Here at LDN, there are several who will be at the
fair daily. Of course Karen Castelein and Nila Smith are seasoned
fair goers and will be out there as much as possible this year. Tag
teaming with Karen at least part of the time will be LDN’s newest
Advertising Sales Representative Chassidy White. We will also have
several others who are representing LDN at the fair, with notepads
and cameras in hand. Look for Lesleigh Bennett, Matt Boutcher,
Heather Gaule, Stephanie Hall, Jay Hodgdon and of course our
seasoned reporter Angela Reiners, to be out and about throughout the
days ahead.
At the office, Devyn Fry and Jeff Wyles are well
prepared to take and translate judging and competition results into
our annual magazine that will go online as soon as possible.
Coverage of the fair will be posted in the daily editions in the
form of individual stories, photo albums and slideshows.
Then later in the week, Devyn and Jeff will start compiling the
daily coverage into magazine format that will be available in
Lincoln Daily News for perpetuity.
Here at Lincoln Daily News, we like to say that we are not just
recording news, we are recording history, and recording the history
of our Logan County Fair is one of the greatest pleasures we have.
We hope you enjoy the fair and we hope you enjoy the coverage LDN
brings you over the next several days.
Finally, we want to say a big thank you to our advertisers who make
it possible for us to do what we love to do. As you go through the
slideshows and peruse the magazine later, please take note of just
how many local businesses support the Logan County Fair, and if you
get the chance, be sure to tell them thank you for their support of
our community and one of the things that makes us great!
Karen, Nila, and all the staff and stringers at Lincoln Daily News
wish you a very good week at the fair!
[Nila Smith] |
