It's Fair Season! What to Do, Eat and Wear at your Local County 4-H Fair!
What is 4-H, Anyway?
It’s that time of year everyone - time to check out when and where the local county fair is, and get yourselves out to explore. I grew up a 4-H kid (I showed pigs) and fair week was by far my favorite week of summer. What’s better than friends, food, animals and all of the other standard fair activities?
I know most of you have heard of the fair, and everyone associates fairs with food and rides, but it’s surprising that so few people actually know what 4-H is all about. The 4-H fair is NOT just food and rides. 4-H is really centered around youth - kids have the opportunity to do so many different types of projects, from foods to photography, livestock to fashion design. Regardless of the project, 4-H helps these kids learn responsibility, develop a skill and show off their hard work at the county fair where projects and livestock are displayed, celebrated and professionally judged.
While the state fair and county fair have so much to do in terms of entertainment, make sure you take a walk through the exhibit barns to really admire the work your local youth have put into their projects. You are sure to be amazed! Learn more about 4-H here!
What to do at your Local County Fair
After you view all the exhibits and animals, you’ll find so much going on with a quick check of the fair schedule, and truly something for everyone! Most fairs have tractor pulls and a demolition derby (not really my thing), but also concerts, some have cheer competitions, pony races, fashion shows and most will have plenty of unique options you might not see at other fairs. For instance, this week I went to watch my nephews and niece show their pigs in the pig show, and a trapeze/high-wire act was also going on that night. This week, I’ll be attending the Porter County Fair, and I know they have a birthing barn for people to watch baby pigs, calves and kids (the goat kind, not the human kind) be born right before their eyes. Every Indiana County Fair I’ve ever visited has all sorts of fun options!
Everyone’s Favorite, Fair Food!
One of my VERY favorite things about the fair is the food. Nowwww, it’s not necessarily healthy, but, you’re at the fair…so, eat away. I think it’s pretty common that most fairs now have more than just the standard “fried everythings.” At my home-county fair (LaGrange County), I always bee-line for the ice cream. It’s been in the same place and priced the same way ($1 for a small cup, $2 for a large), since literally forever. It’s a homemade soft-serve that comes in three flavors: vanilla, strawberry or chocolate, OR chocolate-vanilla twist or strawberry-vanilla twist, and whatever is better than delicious, this is it. This week at the Porter County Fair though, I can’t wait for an elephant ear with cherry pie filling. All the yums!
What to Wear to the Fair
If you’ve never ever been to a county fair, you might be wondering what to wear. Please don’t overthink this - go casual. You will likely see a variety of interesting garb, no one will be dressed up, and even yours truly, a lover of heels, thinks they don’t belong at the fair since most of the time is spent walking on grass/dirt, not well manicured lawns or sidewalks. Shorts and tanks plus sandals work just as well as leggings, tees and running shoes. Denim, casual skirts, Western-wear or boho-vibed-anything will have you fitting in perfectly fine as well.
