State fairs might also be the last best venue we have where people compete for the love of their passions. At the Creative Arts building this year, I walked by display cases with hundreds of cookies, scones, and bars from kitchens across the state. Tiny flags glued to toothpicks poked out from atop the winners.
Next, I stopped by the horticulture building to see our neighbor’s prize-winning floral arrangements; she grows flowers all summer to show them at the fair. And over at the livestock barns, I watched farmers carefully parade their perfectly groomed sheep in a circle around a judge who was picking winners. I asked one of the contestants what they would get if they won.
“A trophy, a ribbon, and about 28 bucks,” she said, adding with a smile, “If you’re getting into sheep for the money, it’s not worth it.”
In a time when almost every level of competition is heavily commercialized, from youth sports to the NIL era to the professionalization of everything, it’s refreshing to see people competing solely for the pride of putting their work on display. And thankfully, there’s nothing controversial about a flower, a cookie, or a beautiful animal—they’re things everyone can enjoy.