4 Tips for the 4-H Fair
Ready for another Everyday Adventure? Use these tips to check out your 4-H fair!
If it isn’t fair time in your neck of the woods, it will be soon. As both of my kids are involved in 4-H we spend a LOT of time at the fair. Lucky for us, it’s a really great one. The Hamilton County Fair is all about the kids and 4-H. That means no rides and very little commercial “stuff.” The food is all local churches, groups and/or food producers, very few booths selling things, and overall a great and simple family experience.
If you haven’t been to your fair lately, go check it out and follow these tips to get the most out of your day:
- Enjoy the food. We are very healthy eaters, but I don’t worry about the occasional tenderloin or milkshake at the fair. To make it a little better (and so we can try more), we typically split whatever we purchase. One of the things I love about our fair is the price of the food – where else can you get a lemonade for 50 cents or an ear of fresh Indiana corn for $1.50? It is a little challenging for my daughter who doesn’t eat meat, so one day she enjoyed a milkshake at the fair and then we picked up sushi on the way home for her dinner – there’s always a workaround!
- Explore the projects. If you are visiting a true 4-H Fair, there will be projects. Lots of projects. The kids who submitted them worked hard (I can attest to an eight hour day of cooking in our household!). Until I had kids in 4-H, we never bothered to visit the project areas, and boy were we missing out! There are some really amazing and interesting projects created by the 4-Hers. Take a little bit of time and see what you can find – you’ll see everything from beautiful photography to creative artwork. Very cool.
- Check out special events. Every fair has a variety of special events that can really enhance your visit. Each year we find something new to check out or even participate in. For example, our fair has a pet parade, cat show, public speaking and demonstrations, a Farmer’s Olympics, food auction and dozens of other fun things to do and see. Most fairs have a schedule that is either posted on one of the buildings, offered in a flyer format, or maybe just posted as a sign when you enter. Look for the schedule (ask a volunteer if you need to) and pick something new for you to check out – it’ll be entertaining and show you a whole new side to the fair.
- Don’t forget the animals. For those of us who live in the suburbs, it’s fun to visit all the animals. There are usually a few babies to see and lots of very well-cared for farm animals. We love walking through the barns and checking them all out. It’s a chance to pet and see up close a nice variety.
Do you typically go to the fair in your area? What is your favorite part of visiting?
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