Rural America's Last Hurrah - County Fairs, October 1997 National Geographic Magazine

County Fairs are a celebration of rural America. Since the early 1800s, the first fairs gave families an opportunity to see first hand the latest agricultural techniques, crops,equipment, and livestock. Over the past century, fairs added children's beauty contests, carnival rides and a wide range of educational, recreational, competitive, and social activities. Within a few generations, butter queens, pig and Ford car races and sheep in spandex have been accepted as a quintessential American...
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County Fairs are a celebration of rural America. Since the early 1800s, the first fairs gave families an opportunity to see first hand the latest agricultural techniques, crops,equipment, and livestock. Over the past century, fairs added children's beauty contests, carnival rides and a wide range of educational, recreational, competitive, and social activities. Within a few generations, butter queens, pig and Ford car races and sheep in spandex have been accepted as a quintessential American tradition. Less than 2% of families live on farms but county fairs are adapting.
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