From the whirling colors of the carnival, to the sights and sounds of the animal barns, to the thrill of winning a ribbon, a trip to the fair creates indelible memories. It seems everyone who’s ever attended a county or state fair recalls lessons, stories, and friendships that came from the experience.
Pam Jahnke, a broadcaster for Mid-West Farm Report, explained, “It’s a shared experience. No matter your age, there is a certain camaraderie when you start talking about showing or being at the fair. The wash rack, telling stories in the barn, the knots in your stomach before you go in the ring, the way you hang on every word the judge shares about your project or the crazy rides you went on afterward—heads start to nod when you start sharing those stories.”
Working together and helping one another has always been part of the farming life; it’s only natural that this sense of community would extend to the local fair. Remembering her time as an exhibitor at the Oconto County Fair, Jahnke continued,
"Parents, families, everybody worked together. You helped one another. You saw kids from other school districts that you might only see once a year. You learned patience and commitment. Whether it was taking care of the vegetable garden to make sure you had a selection for fair display, or the countless hours of walking, walking, walking, to get the fair animal ready and at ease for the ring.
"You learned to listen to your parents, grandparents, club leader, and FFA advisor. They taught you, showed you, listened to you—all to make the fair experience the best! … Today—as a farm broadcaster—I see the same stories repeating
