A notice about a fair board meeting in the latest 4-H newsletter pushed my brain back in time. Prior to the meeting, I thought about all the time I spent in 4-H and at our local fairgrounds. Then I delved into the history of the fair, and asked when was the first county fair in Ford County. Luckily I have a sister who works at the library and could dig up all the information I needed.
Ford County has had a county fair in some shape or form since 1886. An article from the Dodge City Democrat from Oct. 23, 1886 called Ford County’s First Fair, “the largest display of grain, fruits, vegetables and all kinds of farm produce ever exhibited in the west. Fine cattle, fine horses, fine hogs and fine chickens. A display that cannot be excelled in any of our older counties. Thousands of people viewing the wonders of Southwestern Kansas.”
By 1956, there was a push for a mill levy to help fund new facilities on the land just west of Wright Park and give the fair its own home. At the time it was called the Great Southwest Fair, and the fair board used the Hoover Pavilion in the park for exhibits and had several livestock barns in the park held the animals. The 1956 mill levy and another a few years later never passed.
A post on social media told me that in order to build the barns at the current fairgrounds, 4-Hers donated their premiums and other donations helped build the buildings both before and after the 1965 flood that destroyed parts of the fairgrounds.
Recently there has been a push by Ford County to move our fair from the current fairgrounds to another newer location on the southern edge of town. Earlier this week there was a meeting to gather comments from the community about their thoughts on a change.
Honestly I was a little frightened to think about the possibility of a move and what the others in the community thought about a move. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people at the meeting who were against a move.
In all my years at a 4-Her and now as a 4-H parent, it’s really never been about the place the event was held. Sure I remember how hot the unairconditoned building is and the wet feet from the swine barn, but it’s the people I remember the most.
Our county fair was loaded with all the people. Parents, grandparents, extension agents, buyers and helpers. It was the ornery grin on Pete Clair’s face. It was Calvin Copeland’s laugh and excited conversations. It was Don Wiles’ knowledge and experience in every aspect of agriculture.
My fondest memories of 4-H came from the county fair. It was the crackling microphone as the judge explained his placings. It was the constant hum of the fans in the beef barn. It was the midnight football games in the arena that left bruises for days. It was a nap on the show box before the beef show. It was the downpour of rain on Monday night. It was the run to Dairy Queen with friends to soften the blow after the livestock sale.
Now as a parent, it’s being able to see my own kids get to participate in the fair. It’s being able to see my kids play with kids of other former 4-Hers. It was great to see the kids have an afternoon football game and a water fight. It was capped by seeing the surprise on my oldest son’s face when he won his first belt buckle.
More than once during the meeting, people came up and told of their experiences in 4-H and at the county fair. One parent, who’s also a teacher, put it best, “we make the best better.” And that’s what it’s all about is molding the minds and hearts of the kids to do their best. And the county fair is a tremendous part of that.
It really shouldn’t be about how nice or new the fair facilities are. It’s about the people. It’s about the relationships that are built because of 4-H and because of the fair. It’s about the community. It’s about turning out productive citizens of society through 4-H.
I could write 10 more pages about my thoughts on why a move of the fair doesn’t make sense—the space, the money, the loss of a “feeling” of family and community. But I’ll stop here. What have other counties done to make their fairs the best? What have they done when faced with opposition from county officials? What can we do to make the best better?
