Table Talk: A Family A-Fair – More Than Just Blue Ribbons
With summer upon us, many 4-H, FFA and other youth organization members across Wisconsin are preparing for state, district and county fairs. Whether that prep includes walking pigs that just won’t lose their attitudes or pulling all-nighters working on creative stitchery, there’s something magical about the fair preparation process that resonates with exhibitors long after the fair is over and ribbons sit collecting dust.
As a life-long 4-Her and the daughter of our local fairboard president and 4-H agent, a love for fair season runs in my blood. In addition to the usual fair prep (i.e. watching Gilmore Girls and stitching until 4:00 a.m.), I spent my ‘fair’ share of time at the Dodge County Fairgrounds, helping get things ready for what I felt was the event of the season. This included everything from doing rounds with my dad to check on electric and plumbing to being “voluntold” by my mom that I was helping set-up display areas and sweeping out the Youth Building. Sounds glamorous, right? But honestly, it kind of was. There was something so exciting about being part of the secret pre-event happenings. It felt like planning a party for 50,000 of your closest friends. 
In Dodge County, our fair isn’t until mid-to-late August. The absolute perfect culmination of summer, showing off the projects I had worked hard on, connecting with old friends, making new ones and, of course, enjoying grilled cheese and chocolate malts from the Farm Bureau foodstand. While there were certain project areas I was aggressively competitive in, there were a few areas I was less than gifted in. Regardless, the process of selecting, creating and entering things I made is a level of excitement that is difficult to articulate. Going from seeing a picture in a pattern book to watching it come to life in front of me is a wonderous process I still enjoy to this day.
I would love to tell you my creations all panned out perfectly (but newsflash … they didn’t). There was the time my jeopardy board entirely fell apart because I used the wrong glue, the time I totally blanked on which hook I used to crochet a dish cloth and told the judge I used a 10 (crocheting hooks are gauged in letters, not numbers) and countless other flops in between. It wasn’t about the blue ribbon though, it was about the experience along the way.
Whether it was blue ribbons and praise or lower ribbons and constructive feedback, exhibiting at the fair provided me with countless learning opportunities. Beyond that, preparing the grounds, working with volunteers and helping with the less than desirable clean-up fostered a sense of belonging and family that expands well beyond my biological clan. What I didn’t realize at the time is that through all this volunteering and fair prep and exhibiting, my parents were helping me develop problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. Your project’s not turning out how you thought? What else can we do? You aren’t sure how to carve that shape yourself? No worries! We can work on it together and it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t want to sweep the Youth Building? Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like, but a bunch of us will work together on it and make it more fun. Parents are really tricky like that … teaching you lessons when you aren’t expecting them.
Fair season is so much more than blue ribbons. It’s togetherness, volunteerism, supporting one another, learning by doing and trying new things. Fair season is truly a family a-fair.
If you are preparing for your fair, I wish you luck and good experiences this year. If you’ve never been to a fair, consider visiting to see what it’s all about yourself. Local fairs can be found at wifairs.com.
Kari Schoenike is the District 2 Representative on the WFBF Promotion and Education Committee. Kari grew up on her family’s crop farm in rural Dodge County. She is the Agriculture Education Manager at Wisconsin State Fair working to promote agriculture-focused educational opportunities for exhibitors and fairgoers.
The Promotion and Education Committee is a dynamic group of Farm Bureau leaders who develop, implement and promote programs that build agricultural awareness and provide leadership development to the agricultural community.
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