I don't remember much about how I passed my summers day-to-day. I'm sure there was a lot of reading and swimming. My family usually went on a small vacation. There was the usual catching up with all of your friend that you thought had fallen off the face of the earth because you no longer saw them every day at school. As I got older, there was a lot of work sprinkled in there. There is one thing that I remember distinctly about every single summer though: county fair. Now that I'm going on my second consecutive year of missing the county fair, I realize just how many things I miss about it. Good thing I have my family to send me lots of pictures.

1. The Queen Contest

As a past county fair queen, I feel it is my duty to put this one on right away so I don't somehow forget it. Growing up, it was always a great night where I got to look at all of the girls in their beautiful dresses. As I got older, it became a way to celebrate the accomplishments of my peers. It helps showcase talents in areas that aren't always recognized as big achievements, such as participation in livestock projects or your continuing hard work ethic. And really, what's not to miss about that?

2. Really All of the Contests

Like I said, I would be remiss if I didn't give the county queen contests their due diligence, but really I just love the entire competitive atmosphere of fair. Now that being said, this is in no way a cut-throat, have-to-always-win, take-each-other-out experience. Instead, the amazing thing about fair is that everyone manages to compete while still celebrating the hard work and achievements of everyone else. Of course there are disappointments if a project didn't do as well as a participant had hoped, but they are also always really excited to celebrate the winnings of a fellow 4H friend. Fair fosters a support system that is often found lacking in other forms of competition. At the end of the day, fair is about the positive experiences and not the number of ribbons tucked into an exhibitor's back jeans pocket.

3. Kids Waiting to See How Their Projects Did

This may actually be my very favorite part of fair. There is nothing I find more endearing than when a group of kids all crowds around the 4H building to wait for the state fair results to be posted. There is a palpable excitement in the air. Most of all, there is a tangible pride for the hard work each person put into their project throughout the year. You can see the cogs turning on projects for the next year as they wait the results of the current year. You can watch as the fair solidifies hard work ethic and good sportsmanship as it positively recognizes the accomplishments of all participants.

4. Back to the Crazy Named Contests

The supportive environment is usually where I get the biggest flood of nostalgia when I hear the words "county fair." Yet, I also have a special place in my heart for all of the hilarious contests that would never seem to be socially acceptable any other time of the year. For example, yesterday my brother participated in Mutton Bustin', an activity where a 3 year old is placed on the back of a sheep and rides around until he falls off (which lasted about 2.5 seconds in my brother's case). Then of course you also have mud runs and tractor pulls and goat-ropin'. This magical week of fair manages to turn even the most urban (at least as urban as you can get in rural Iowa) of kids into a farm kid for a day.

5. The Community

The thing I miss the absolute most though is actually interwoven throughout all of my other favorite things about fair. None of these things would be so special without all of the community support. This is shown throughout the week by the presence of community members, the bidding on livestock projects, the multitude of volunteers and the heartfelt congratulations given to kids regarding their projects. Each county's community really lies at the heart of its fair and makes it an unforgettable experience each year.