This year is no different. We have a lot of poultry and not enough pens. The Fair Board worked with 4-H as we brainstormed ideas to fix this in the time that we had left before fair. That is where our community came in. Neither board had allocated money for an additional tent, and we wouldn’t have even known where to get one if we had. We also didn’t have pens to put all of the extra birds in. But within 24 hours, a local business donated the money for the tent, and a neighboring fair is loaning us their pens. There are countless examples that I could list of problems that this community has helped us to overcome.

You may ask why this is important. The fair could simply disappear like many of the festivals that have come and gone in Northeast Michigan. Fairs are crucial to the life of a community because of what they provide. Our board was lucky to attend a seminar about the importance of fairs to each community that they serve. Not only did the presenter talk about all of the things that I knew to be important, but he also hit on some new ideas about the fair’s significance. For example, so many people today have no idea where our food comes from: that bread begins as a sheaf of wheat, or that bacon does not simply appear in the grocery store.

By interacting with our exhibitors, kids can learn how food is grown. Fairs are also important because it’s a platform which showcases Alpena and the traditions that our ancestors have passed down to us. Looking at the exhibits under the grandstand and seeing the canned goods, baked items and the beautiful handcrafts instills an attitude of possibility.

Perhaps the most important facet of community building developed through fairs is leadership. The 4-H youth, who raise animals — some for market and many simply for the love of raising them — learn countless lessons through their experiences. Bookkeeping, first-aid, nutrition, and compassion are just a few. More importantly to me, is how they grow from their years in 4-H and truly become community leaders. They learn the importance of public speaking and communication. They learn all about our local businesses as well as the value of hard work. I see the proof of this not only in the values that the fair and 4-H have instilled in my own children, but also in the fact that our fair board has four members under the age of 30 who believe in the importance of the Alpena County Fair. If you should visit the fair this year (and I truly hope that you will) talk to some of the young exhibitors and ask what they have gained from their experience with their animals and in their 4-H projects. I think you’ll come away believing that the future is in good hands.

Courtesy Photo Olivia Tolan and Marley Howard are dressed for showmanship as they wait their turn for the large fowl show on Sunday at the Alpena County Fair.

Ian Hill, the presenter of the seminar that we attended, clarified the importance of what our fair board does. The fair is a bastion which draws this community together and allows it to shine and grow leaders. It helps to form the fabric which makes our community strong and vital. While writing this article, I deliberately didn’t mention the names of the local business that donated the tent, and the fair that loaned us their pens — not because they are not important. I didn’t name them because there are so many individuals and groups that have come to our aid. They do, however, deserve to be highlighted. I will feature each of them on our Facebook page — Alpena County Fair.

Lynn Borke is a former member of the Alpena County Fair Board, and a current fair volunteer.

Courtesy Photo Johanna Zann prepares her ewe market lamb for show at the Alpena County Fair.