County Fairs: Much More Than Just Corn Dogs
I grew up a 4-H kid, doing projects, writing reports, going to meetings and delivering presentations. We raised lambs and showed them at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma and the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa. I really loved the Fairs, the rides, the food, the people and the animals too. But I think I also loved the sense of autonomy. Mom or Dad would put a few bucks in my hand, and drop me off at the Fair to take care of the animals and I would be there most of the day.
I may not have realized it at the time, but with $5.00 in my pocket and all day at the fair, I had to learn responsibility, budgeting, and time management. There’s not much worse than running out of money with 3-4 hours left to go before they come to pick you up. And of course, this was long before the days of cell phones.