What pops up into your mind when you think of the county fair? Elephant ears, corn dogs, roasting ears and fried vegetables? Or maybe Ferris wheels and carousels? Some folks think of farm animals, from cattle to hogs to rabbits to chickens and alpacas.
Whatever images “county fair” conjures in your mind, you can find them realized at the Madison County 4-H Fair going on through Saturday in Alexandria.
This annual event offers a tangible connection to our community’s rural roots. You can have direct contact with a 1,200-pound steer or a 300-pound barrow. (Remember to ask before you touch.) And you can watch as farm kids take care of the animals, ensuring that they have the right amount of food, water and comfort.
The sad fact of the livestock shows is that many of the animals are headed for slaughter. But this is one of the many values of the 4-H fair: it teaches lessons about life. The reality is that livestock is just that — live stock — that is raised because it has material value. Without the end game of the slaughterhouse the vast majority of these animals never would have been born.
The fair also provides a platform for face-to-face social contact. Old friends meet on the midway by plan or chance and catch up with one another’s lives in a neighborly sort of way. New friends are made, too. And teens escape the ethereal world of texting and Facebook to talk and laugh in the true old-fashioned, face-to-face way.
Thanks to the many volunteers, 4-H leaders and others, this year’s fair in Alexandria is keeping the summer tradition of the county fair thriving. If you haven’t gone out to see the sights — and hear the sounds, and smell the smells — of the Madison County 4-H Fair, take time today, Friday or Saturday to mosey on over to Alexandria and join in on the fun.
You may leave with a bellyache, but you’ll almost certainly have a smile on your face.
Editorials
Editorial: County fair offers connection to community’s rural roots
- Editorials
-
-
Editorial: If bullying tale is true, APA right to release headmaster
The recent accusations leveled against the headmaster at Anderson Preparatory Academy illustrate how bullying can be perpetuated by administrators who become enablers.
-
Editorial: Get permission before school pranks
Anderson High School decided to show some solidarity with their Cascade peers and filled up the school with post-it notes, all in good fun. This prank was also done after hours but with a big difference: The students had requested and received permission to imitate Cascade.
-
You Said It: About fundraiser, missing woman, building preservation
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
-
Editorial: Memorial Day helps put face on wounded warriors
This is the perfect weekend to thank a veteran, an active duty service member or a wounded warrior for his or her service. Our positive, encouraging response goes a long way in defining our society.
-
Editorial: Honor those who fought, and celebrate our freedom
This weekend, keep in mind the reason for Memorial Day — to remember those who have been so important in our lives, especially those who made the supreme sacrifice in military service.
-
Editorial: Governor candidates offer conservatism, moderation
The jockeying for position has begun in what is basically a two-horse gubernatorial race. Each offers voters a legitimate option. The November outcome may offer a simple referendum on the mindset of voters: Are they most persuaded by Mike Pence’s conservatism or by John Gregg’s moderation?
-
Editorial: Keep up the chorus against the landfill
Occupy Anderson has joined the ever-growing chorus against the proposed Mallard Lake landfill. Sam Mudd, a member of Occupy, is taking his studies on how the landfill might pollute Anderson’s water to areas of the county to drum up support against the landfill.
-
Editorial: Find a buyer for former school or tear it down
If a buyer wants the former Pendleton Heights Middle School, fine, but put no more taxpayer money into it.
-
Editorial: Libraries must adapt to serve communities
Certainly, the Friends of the Anderson Public Library needs space to store and sell used books, records, DVDs and other material. But library supporters and staff must be flexible in this ever-changing world to keep public facilities relevant.
-
You Said It: About Walking Men, the Queen of Disco and settled lawsuits
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
Editorial: If bullying tale is true, APA right to release headmaster
