Fun At A County Fair

Welcome to the Emmet County Fair

Life at the fair

The Ferris wheel and other rides

In my mind, there is nothing better than having fun at a county fair. This week, have fun looking at photos from an old-fashioned county fair in Northern Michigan.

The Emmet County Fair, held every August in Petoskey, Michigan, is a tradition for many families, including ours. There are midway games, carnival rides and plenty of cotton candy, elephant ears and fried Oreos.

4-H is an important part of life in a rural community.

4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. It is an integral part of rural life across America today and something I wish had been available to me as a child. Here at the Emmet County Fair, there are exhibits featuring animal husbandry, sewing, cooking and craftwork. I used to enjoy crocheting about a decade ago and I considered submitting some of my own work to be judged.

When I think of 4-H, I think of the time and effort boys and girls pour into their animals. Raising them often from birth, they keep track through journals everything it takes to feed, vaccinate and raise livestock.

In the small animal section, I try to ask the kids about their animals. The 4-H kids are generally enthusiastic to answer my questions.

A Holstein cow raised by a 4-H member

Spending time before saying goodbye

The 'Pocket Pet' section features smaller animals like guinea pigs, rabbits, and ducks.

Learning the parts of a fowl.

What a beautiful face!

What a great looking bird you are!

The lessons learned through the 4-H program provide a lifetime of understanding for children and young adults in rural Northern Michigan.

This pig sleeps in the exact same way as my Welsh Winston.

This year, the pig section was full of activity when we were there. I am particularly fond of walking around the pigs because they have so much character. There was a major scuffle among the pigs when we visited.

It looked as if one pig was not pleased that another was getting an extra serving of food. When the complaining pig got a chance at the trough, it didn't even eat! Instead it just chose to continue complaining.

That nose knows its smells.

A triple pig sleepover!

Pigs are social animals.

Before I came to the fair, I didn't understand that each of the animals present are bathed, brushed and cleaned to look their very best. The dairy and cattle section is an area where this attention to detail stands out.

These are not the mud covered bovines I am used to seeing out in the pastures. Instead, they are washed and scrubbed and brushed until they look almost fluffy. This Holstein had some hay on its back, but just look at that perfectly brushed tail. I learned from one of the students that they even shine their hooves to make them glossy!

This Holstein was cleaned and brushed to look its best at the Fair.

A goat giving me the eye.

This sheep reminds me of my Sealpoint Siamese cat.

Another curious goat peaking out of its enclosure.

Goats have such great personalities. If I could keep farm animals, I would choose goats. They are like Welsh Terriers -- stubborn, smart, and indifferent to rules.

A working goat munching on weeds and scrub trees that need to be removed in Charlevoix.

Goats are frequently used now to naturally clean out overgrown yards and areas. While in Charlevoix earlier this summer, I came upon a herd of goats munching on an overgrown hillside. Sadly, the goats are picky eaters, and will not eat Kudzu. So much for their use along the highways and rural areas in Virginia.

While sheep lack the same personality traits, they are quite lovely looking when they are shorn. They actually remind me of my Siamese cat Amanda with the black face and creamy body.

In addition to the animals and the rides, I love to go and see either the Monster Truck competition or Autocross races. In my mind, autocross is similar to the demolition derby.

The cars used are usually junkers that circle around a dirt track. This year, the day before the race, we had nearly an inch of rain, making the track very muddy. Many of the autos do not have matching tires and the wildly mismatched tires coupled with the mud caused the autos to get stuck.

The only way to get the autos unstuck was either to hit them from behind or wait until the end of the race, when fork trucks would come in and carry them away.

Autocross fans at the Emmet Co. Fair

At the starting line for the race.

Fans packing the stadium .

Earplugs are definitely recommended unless you want to lose your hearing. Parents usually have noise cancelling headphones for the children attending.

The woman with the two children at the bottom consoles her partner after his car crashed and died.

This is a common occurrence after each race.

I hope they don't drive like this on the highway!

No one was hurt when this car flipped over. Note the depth of the mud on the red car's tire.

Finally a trip to any fair is about eating a ton of junk food. I confess that fried Oreos are just too much for me to try, but I did have an interesting version of Polish Golobki and a beer while Brian had cotton candy and a hot dog.

Food and drink at the fair.

Brian and I at autocross

The rides are over now, and the animals have gone back to their farms. The drivers of many cars will need to find another junker to race next year, and likely, the cheaper, the better.

I just might buy this next year.

I will be taking a week or two off from writing next week to enjoy another fantastic sailing adventure on the Windjammer Angilique, followed by the annual Welsh Terrier StinkEye. Look for photos on Instagram adventures.in.life2024 See you in a couple weeks.