Give the fair a chance

This year's county fair won't have a carnival. But that doesn't mean there isn't a reason to go.

The fair board and its director have done the best job they could, considering the short notice they had, to find some kind of entertainment to replace the carnival. For little kids at least, there will be some play activities, and for the older residents of the area, there's still the evening bands and dances. And several nights of rodeo that are well worth watching.

But the heart and soul of the fair remains -- the celebration of Elmore County farming and ranching, and the creativity of its citizens.

This year, it's going to be more of a Norman Rockwell fair, with the animals, crafts and produce exhibits taking center stage. So maybe losing the carnival for a year is a good thing, if it shifts the focus back to what the fair was historically all about.

Even in rural areas like Elmore County, fewer and fewer people have any roots to the farming and ranching life. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate it.

Let's turn out this year to show our support to the kids, who have worked so hard on their animal projects all year, and to offer our praise to all the men and women who worked on the crafts projects they have entered at the fair for you to enjoy.

It's not the fair we hoped it would be, but it's still worth attending. Give it a chance.

-- Kelly Everitt