Fair celebrates farmers, community

The Park County Fair opens today, bringing a flood of memories and excitement with it. Fair serves not just as a time of celebration for all of the hard work done by our farmers and their impending harvest yield, but also as a time of community and camaraderie.

Many of us have our share of Fair stories – and those of us who did not grow up with Fair have come to learn and love the tales and traditions shared with us by friends, neighbors and strangers alike. 

At a time when Americans say they are more lonely than ever – an April 2023 Gallup poll found one-fifth of American adults reported feeling lonely much of the previous day – and in a state where we have an ongoing mental health crisis, it is incredibly important to embrace such traditions, get outside and be with each other. A March 10 New York Times article referred to the disappearance of “third places,” a sociological term coined in the ’80s to refer to those informal community spaces that exist outside of our home (the first) and workplaces (the second). Commonly, these would be our coffee shops, theaters, dance halls and libraries, but our Fair should also perhaps be considered a third place and so, too, many of its events.

FFA, 4-H, open-class, all the various forms of crafting, and even the auto racing and derby events allow us – and especially our younger generations – an opportunity to come together, work and play collaboratively, and form lasting bonds with each other. We are able to meet our peers, of course, but also to form cross-generational bonds, learning from each other and finding time to grow and deepen our connection to our wider community.

We’re so grateful for our Fair friends and we expect that many of you are, too. For, even if we only see them once a year, we know the impact they can have on us and the joy they bring to our lives.

From all of us at the Enterprise, we wish you a happy Fair and hope you are able to feel just how special it is to take part in this year’s festivities.