What are some of your favorite memories from when you were a kid? Were they in the summer, or on a special trip? I have a lot of favorite memories, and most of them took place in the summer at the Henry County Fair.
From the young age of 5 years old I have always attended my county fair. It is always the last week in June, and is the best time of the whole entire summer. Being this young I wasn’t really sure how much work went into putting the fair on. I just went to look at the cool farm animals, and ride all of the rides of course.
As I grew up I started going to more of the events, and learning what the fair was actually about. I competed in the pageants, I knew that the farm animals were there for kids up until the age of 18 to show in the local 4-H group, and I knew this was place where people from all over my county could come together and work alongside of each other to better agriculture in the state of Illinois.
This all sounds really beneficial right? The problem is many states are cutting the budget for county fairs to save money. This is a problem for all of the kids who are showing their animals, participating in the pageants or talent shows, or just going to show support for our area.
As Miss Henry County 2015 I was able to attend the annual Northern Zone Meeting where they discuss the budget and what is happening to all of the fairs in the northern part of Illinois. This was very beneficial to me because it made me want to make a difference. I want to spread the awareness of how important county fairs are to our youth, and the community.
At my fair we are very good about fundraising. I was the MC for a trivia night, and in the next week I will be attending a BBQ. Both of these events will or have raised quite a bit of money. The best part is, the Henry County Fair is debt free and we are able to provide fun for everyone.
I am so excited to see where the future takes this amazing place that will forever be a memory.
pageantsandpearls 