Fair fun goes back half a century

ISSUE: 50 years of the Hardin County Fair
OUR VIEW: Thanks for a half century of summer fun

Although the traditional gift and color typically associated with a 50 th anniversary celebration is gold, a more fitting color might be blue - as in county fair blue ribbon blue. At least it should this year be for the Hardin County Fair.

2013 marks a half century of summer fun as the county fair opens in July. Local elected officials, community and business leaders joined county fair board members and volunteers at their recent annual luncheon to celebrate this 50th anniversary. And there was much to celebrate, including the fair’s designation as the recipient of the Most Progressive Fair award.

This award is given by the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows in recognition of a county fair’s participation improvement over previous years in four specific categories. According to KAFHS’s award and criteria guidelines, these include the number of livestock entries; horse entries; food, crop and youth entries approved for state aid; and money spent on entries not approved for state aid. Judges compare a county fair’s current and past year participation data in these categories, both in raw numbers and as a percentage, along with the accuracy, completeness and prompt reporting of its reports, to determine the best of the best within the state.

In 2011, the Hardin County Fair took the top honor among all other fairs in counties with populations exceeding 20,000 in KAFHS’s 32-county Zone 2. 2012 marks the second time the Hardin County Fair has been designated the Most Progressive Fair in its division, having received the honor back in 1974.

This award symbolizes what we already know. The Hardin County Fair is a great place to spend a warm July week. For 50 years now, it is part of what makes life in rural America so special. For many of us over a certain age, many a memory from our youth reflect back upon warm evenings at our county fair.

Year after year, and since 1964 in its current location, fair board members and volunteers work hard to plan a fun-filled week, and sometimes overcoming all that Mother Nature can throw at them in doing so. From horse and livestock judging to tractor pulls; from demolition derbies to beauty pageants; from arts and craft judging to lawn mower races; from the carnival midway to the talent contests; our county fair is a don’t-miss event.

We look forward to the fair gates opening in July and in celebrating 50 years of down-home summer fun. And in the meantime, here’s our congratulations on being 2012’s Most Progressive Fair.

This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise's editorial board.