Published: July 17, 2008 01:11 pm      

A reunion for the whole community

More than 650 4-Hers participate in Carroll County Fair

FLORA — To Carroll County, the 4-H fair is not just a competition or a fun time. It's a reunion.

“In this county, the fair is the highlight of the summer,” said 4-H educator Joanne Lytton, one of the directors of the week-long event. “The entire community comes out for the fair.”

It's an especially important time for those who will soon be leaving for college, like Delphi resident Kayleigh Morgan.

“It's the last event to spend time with the people I've grown up with,” she said.

This year's fair is special to the18-year-old for another reason.

On Saturday, she was named Miss Carroll County 2008. Twelve girls aged 16-21 participated in the 51st annual queen contest.

"It was very exciting," said Morgan, who won Miss Congeniality last year. “It's fun to be able to represent the county that I've grown up in.”

Morgan is a one of 32 Carroll 4-H members who are involved in the program for their 10th and final year.

In all, more than 650 4-Hers are participating in this year's festivities, Lytton said. The youngsters can compete either by showing animals or doing an indoor project, such as photography, quilt-making or baking.

The most visible symbols of the fair are the animals. Hundreds of cows, pigs, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and others line the barns at the fairgrounds and are shown by 4-Hers in different shows.

An important competition in Carroll County is the hog show, Lytton said. More pigs are shown in Carroll than anywhere else in the state. This year, 166 are competing.

Another highlight is the horse show, an event that has grown considerably in the past few years, said former show director Mary Larimore.

"It's gotten bigger every year," said Larimore, who now leases horses to participants since her own daughter is too old to compete.

This year, 50 families are involved in the show, Larimore said. Five years ago, it was closer to 30 families.

For competitors, the fair horse show is the climax of a year's worth of hard work.

“We live for the horse show,” Larimore said. “It's great.”

But there's more going on inside the exhibition buildings than outside, Lytton said. More than half of the 4-H projects are shown in the two buildings, which is surprising to many people, she said.

While fairgoers acknowledged that the projects are the center of the fair, they say there's more to the event.

One of the other aspects is the food.

“I love enjoying the good food — it's all really good,” said 11-year-old Elijah Wilson, chomping down a chili cheese dog minutes after claiming three reserve champion titles in the goat show.

Wilson is showing four goats, two chickens and one cow at the fair this year.

Others said they come to the event because all of their friends are there.

“It's a fun time hanging out here every day,” said Eric Barnerd, 15, who has two chickens and two cows competing. “My favorite part is just seeing all my friends every day.”

Despite all the food, fun and prizes, the emphasis of the event is still to provide education and positive programming to the participating kids, Lytton said.

“The highlight happens all week long,” she said. “It's watching them and knowing they did a good job. And it's watching the parents and the pride in their faces.”

Brian Rosenthal can be reached at (574) 732-5148, or via e-mail at brian.rosenthal@pharostribune.com