Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 76 I N AN AGE WHEN SMARTPHONES, VIDEO GAMES, AND VIRTUAL REALITY ARE ALL THE RAGE, the county fair is a bit of anachronism. While other events, such as pag- eants, community picnics, and the circus have all but disap- peared, the county fair is still a popular destination for many every summer. This is especially true if you were a country kid. The carnival rides, food, exhibits and games at the coun- ty fair were something you looked forward to every year. In the winter, you longed for Christmas. In the summer, you yearned for the county fair. Ripe with nostalgia, the memories of past county fairs overlap multiple generations. The things we do at the county fair today are almost exactly as our parents did…and almost exactly as their parents also did before them. The annual event is the hallmark of summer in the country. And I dare say, it is still relevant today. The tradition of the county fair goes back all the way to the 1800s, when rural communities held the first fairs to demon- strate the latest and greatest agriculture technology. It was also a time to showcase your livestock, or your crops, or your woodworking project, or your pie, and have them judged so you could see how they fared against your friends and neigh- bors. The goal? The coveted blue ribbon, which often came with a small (very small) financial reward. The red and white ribbons were reminders that you needed to work just little harder next year. Early on, adults usually entered the fair to have their agri- culture, handiwork, and food judged. Somewhere along the way, though, adults bowed out of competition and turned it over to boys and girls, generally between nine and 18 years of age. They were almost always members of a local 4-H club or Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. The first county fairs in America are more than 200 years old. Today there are still thousands of county and state fairs across the country. Helena hosted Montana's first territori- al fair in 1869, and soon other counties followed by holding their own fairs. The Western County Fair in Missoula started in 1879 before disappearing for a spell when the fairgrounds were sold. Gallatin County built its first fairgrounds in Boz- eman in 1903. The Rosebud County Fair in Forsyth began in 1906, and today it includes Treasure County, too. These ag- riculturally inclined youths were almost always members of a local 4-H club or Future Farmers of America chapter, which is now known as the National FFA Organization. Perhaps the biggest event that caps days of judging is the livestock auction. This is when boys and girls sell their cattle and other livestock to local businesses, organizations, and individuals who bid generous sums of money to reward the photos and story by TODD KLASSY

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