Fair Enough
Every county fair seems to have its own culture. The drivers are usually economic, but not always. Sometimes, the fair board wants to march to the beat of its own drum.
For example, if a fair has a carnival, activities will run late into the evening. Carnivals bring in lots of money but also some questionable characters. Those fairs usually have a strong police presence on the midway.
Some fairs schedule their livestock shows at night. That brings in more spectators, but the cooler temperatures also help reduce stress on the animals. I remember going to the Elkhart County 4-H Fair one night around 10 p.m. I was just curious and wanted to see what was going on. There was a concert in the grandstand, horse show in the saddle club arena and dairy feeder calves being judged in the show arena. I was really surprised by all the activity.
Most reasonable folks are in bed at that time, but the rules are different during county fair week. At 10 p.m., many people still have the hankering for a good elephant ear or deep-fried Oreos. Even after the gates close, 4-H leaders are still at the fairgrounds to keep an eye on the animals. At the Miracle of Life tent, a cow might give birth in the middle of the night; someone is staying nearby just in case. Hundreds of people live in trailers during fair week.
On the other hand, some fairs adopt a business-like attitude and wrap things up by mid-afternoon. At last week's Steuben County 4-H Fair, the final event of the week was the 4-H auction on Thursday. Following the auction, people packed up and headed home. There was no carnival and no fireworks show to end the week. The next day, some returned to the fairgrounds to clean up.
Such fairs have a family-oriented culture. They believe the county fair should serve 4-H families and the local farm community. Anyone is welcome to attend, of course, but the entertainment—a rodeo, country music concerts and 4-H faceoff—is designed for rural folks. The food tents are all local, and the proceeds usually go to the 4-H program or a non-profit in the community.
There are very big differences in county fairs, and those differences are easily spotted as soon as you enter the gate.
One thing is true whether the fair is large or small: sleeping is difficult. I spoke with one 4-H leader a few weeks ago. She stays in a trailer during the week. That keeps her close to the action, but it also keeps her awake at night. The fairground is not silent after the sun goes down. Loud noises come from all the animals, people running around knocking on doors and the trash truck emptying the dumpster early in the morning. If you want good sleep, wait until fair week is over.