The County Fair wasn’t all fun and games.

OK, it was all fun and games.

But there was also a lot of hard work that went into it too.  Like most community events, they were run by a large army of volunteers.  People willing to give of their time, talents and treasures to make sure that the community had an event each summer to bring it together and celebrate its success.

At the top, was the county fair board.  They were the generals that did the planning throughout the year.  Coordinating with the carnival shows, lining up the grandstand attractions, making sure that the buildings were all in good shape and the grounds kept up.

Sometimes that meant one of them running the lawnmower, but it always got done.

Underneath them was the huge cast of people.  The volunteers for the races and the demolition derby.  The people working the barns.  The county extension office worked long hours making sure that there were judges for everything from the cattle and hogs down to the flowers.

Then there was the coordination from the large group of people coming to the commercial building.  People representing their businesses or their organization.  Making sure that a booth was rented and their organizations were represented - and in the process, lending their support to their community. 

In addition, most churches and other civic organizations had some part to play.  Some had food booths, some ran events.  The Lions had their pancake feed.  The Knights of Columbus had their Bingo games.  The Ladies Aid had their food stand.  The 4-H had their building with displays and food.

My folks were no exception.

I can remember Mom starting to work weeks before the fair for the Ladies Aid Food Stand.  She and several other ladies would divide duties - calling for volunteers, food, and donations.  The spread was usually pretty good.  A good sandwich, a piece of pie, and a pop satisfied a lot of fair goers. 

Dad played his part too.  He would gallantly hand the reigns of the farm over to us kids at least one day and do his part at the Knight’s of Columbus Bingo tent.  Making sure that people had their cards, taking money and handing out winnings.

In addition to being hard work, I also think it was a lot of fun.  It was the social networking that held our community together.  Mom could catch up on the latest news calling around.  Sometimes working the food stand was a good respite from her own five hudlums at home.  For Dad, getting away from the farm and working with friends…maybe having a beer or two in the process…was also a good way to catch up, relax a little, and recharge.

Those days have passed.  The state health board shut down the Ladies Aid Food Stand.  It had no running water and the pop was cooled in iced down stock tanks.  Plus the food was all prepared at home - all no-no’s in today’s food safety concious world.  The Knight’s Bingo Hall died away too.  Lack of volunteers and lack of people with Bingo halls popping up around the countryside elimating the fix to buy a card or two and try for the $50 grand prize.

Thankfully, the fair lives on.  It has consolidated, and smaller then it has been in the past, but it still breathes.  Hopefully, it will remain a part of the fabric of young families and the community for years to come.