It's summer, which means county fairs are going around across the country. The smell of elephant ears is in the air and screams from kids on roller coasters can be heard for miles. There isn't a single year that I didn't go to my county 4-H fair. I missed it in the fall and anticipated it in the spring. Here are fifteen reasons that you should go to your county 4-H fair.

1. Elephant Ears

I think this goes without saying but how can you go to a fair and NOT get an elephant ear?

2. The rides

They aren't like Disney World or Cedar Point crazy, upside-down roller coasters but the rides are still so much fun and it gives you a cheap thrill.

3. Local Dairy Barn

Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. And when it's local-it's even better!

4. The corn dogs

There's just something about fairs and corn dogs that go hand and hand.

5. The animals

Why go to a zoo? A county 4-H fair has tons of animals that are locally raised and owned by young 4-Hers. Support them with their livestock!

6. The hand-made youth projects

Outside of the 4-H fair, there is also just the 4-H where kids make their own arts and crafts like: cake decorating, fabric painting, woodworking, gift wrapping, fine arts, photography and so many others. You can walk around and admire all the hard work made my local youths.

7. The concerts

Many 4-H fairs have concerts. They can be free for grandstand seats or cheap prices for front rows. Either way it's pretty cool that big name stars will come to small county fairs!

8. Pageants

4-H fairs have pageants so they can have strong, responsible and intelligent young women be representatives of their county and compete at a state level.

9. Supporting your community

Usually it takes an entire community to pull of an entire week of elephant ears, rides and runaway cows (or maybe that was just with my family). Either way you give money back to local shops and fenders, and you support your community and county by doing something local.

10. It's fun!

It's fun. Enough said with that.

So, next time you are thinking about something to do with your summer, take a break from the beach, get out of the mall and stop ranting on Twitter. Get outside with the family and have loads of fun at your local county 4-H fair.