County fair season holds a special place in my heart. As a kid it meant 4-H judging, hot summer days and cold snow cones, and fun times with rarely seen friends before school started up again. As much work as it to get to fair with all my projects, once we got there it was all about the fun. In my 20’s there wasn’t much time for fair attendance as fire seasons and fair usually collided but since reaching my 30’s I’ve managed to squeeze in a day or two each year. This year, I finally had a chance to volunteer and give back.
My office helps sponsor a free Buffalo Barbecue Feed and we have the opportunity to help serve. Even though this fair isn’t in the county where I live, I jumped at the chance to have a reason to go to the fair. Besides it sounded like a good time and a great way to make some new friends.
Custer County, South Dakota is fairly rural and the sense of community was obvious at the fair. Little boy playing tag while leaping from hay bale to hay bale, toddlers weaving between pairs of Wranglers searching for a familiar face, teens of all ages flirting and hiding from their parents, and friends of all ages gathered around picnic tables catching up. This, for me, is what fair is all about.
After helping serve supper to a bunch of hungry folks, it was time to join the fun. Jake joined me and we wandered the fairgrounds taking it all in. We wandered the exhibit halls, cruised through the livestock, and laughed at the antics of the local ranch rodeo. Unfortunately, it was time to leave sooner than we wished and although it wasn’t my local county fair this one too will hold a special place in my heart.