Today is the opening of the 2011 Murray County Fair. The booths are going up. The 4-H kids are showing their kids (and bunnies and horses and hogs). The Milk Producers have the Dairy stand turning out chocolate (and raspberry and strawberry) shakes malts and the Pork Producers have the Pork stand turning out pulled pork sandwiches and pork chops on a stick. The big John Deere tractors are staring down the big Case IH tractors down equipment row. The DFL anchors one end of the Commercial Exhibit building and the GOP the other.
While it may seem the ultimate small town competition, the County Fair is one place we all come together. Rich and poor, old and young, town and country, we all go down and stroll the Fairgrounds, look at the animals, let the family ride the rides.
Our County Fair is a Free Fair, too—everybody pays through their county taxes, yes, but we all get in because this is one thing that’s all about us. There is an extra charge for the Grandstand show, but that’s OK because that’s not the main attraction. The big event at the County Fair is our own children…and our local farmers and our local businessmen and our local service clubs and our local government. It’s all about us at our County Fair.
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