The next time you go to the STATE FAIR...

...Notice the work that goes into it.                                                                          This is what the 4-H building looks like 6 hours into the fair set up. 

Another 8 hours into it.

Then comes Entry day (12 hours).   Each county brings their exhibits that were selected during their county fairs.  The day is long and crazy as we mark off EACH item and change descriptions to include color or another distinguishing trait, instead of just an entry labeled "pillowcase" - we get hundreds and it would take hours to find which "pillowcase" they were talking about.  Everything is sorted by category for judging day!       Um, to add to our long day, the air conditioner was broken.  The end of July, running around,... gross! 
Judging day is another very long day- that goes well into the night for those of us in charge.   (Let me pipe in here to say things got even longer for me as my sister, who I was interning for, and could run the fair in her sleep.... got a new job!  Leaving me.... "in charge". Good timing huh?)  Luckily, I've been helping her out for the past few years and knew a lot of things, and what I didn't know, I had her personal cell # for!
Judges from all over the state are brought in to judge the exhibits, including a comment card.  Then dozens of helpers fold comment cards and staple ribbons to the name cards.  You think this is an easy task, but it takes HOURS to make sure the names aren't covered by the ribbons, and of course, once you start to display the items, the tags/ ribbons are rearranged again to make sure they don't cover too much of the exhibit. HOURS!!!!   We have a few ladies that work for us that are AMAZING at doing displays and double checking this- I can only look at the exhibits so long before my eyes start to bug and I think everything looks "great!"
P.S. if you ever want your fill of snickerdoodles, sign up to judge at a fair!  Yes, judges really do taste EVERY SINGLE cookie!   (They judge the Friday before Labor Day.)

After  judging day ends, all foods and cakes are sprayed so they won't attract flies during the 10 days of fair visitors- cans, and cans of spray!  Monday morning vegetables are brought in.  All of these are judged and taken outside to be sprayed.  (My least favorite part- tomatoes roll on plates, so it takes LOTS of trips in and out.)
For displays:  First table skirting goes around all the tables, we pick to display either by color, theme, etc. and gather items from all over the room.  (Generally, there is a quilt that starts our inspiration.) Sometimes we start after judging ends, or we take the weekend break.  Either way, by Wednesday morning about 3,000 items have to be set up so that each can be seen and hilighted. 

Did I mention that everything in the 4-H building is made by youth in grades 3rd-12th?   There are some really talented kids! 

My weekend is spent updating lists on the computer- items that didn't really come in, items put in the wrong categories, etc.   Usually we have 3 computers and my sisters and I spend hours entering ribbons for EVERY SINGLE ITEM, so that premium money can be figured.    There are always at least a couple dozen items that didn't get the ribbon marked.  I love the life-size search looking for the items.  I love puzzles! 

The hardest part is the last couple of hours of set up.  There are always a few things that don't completely "match" our selected themes.  Once again, some ladies are REALLY good at this, some, just put things wherever and it drives me crazy!  
A few more late hours fixing name tags, putting up chain, information displays, "do-not-touch" signs, and Whaaa-la!  We're ready for the public.  

That's not where it ends though.   The workers that have set everything up spend the next 10 days working shifts to remind people not to touch, telling people about 4-H and helping kids/ parents/neighbors/ grandparents find items made by someone they know.   After working with the exhibits for 4 days, we can usually find just about anything! 

I have to say my favorite days to work are the first few days.   Elder Perry usually comes by.  And about a few hundred school kids.  

 

4 days to set up..... 4 HOURS to take down, sort into county piles and check everything back off the entry lists to make sure everything is returned.   (Biggest pet peeve.... when counties want to come early to pick up their stuff.   I realize some of them have a long way to drive, but we're all exhausted by this time. ) 

Alright, so now to the really great part of putting in the HUNDREDS of hours..... the rodeo!    If I'm at the fairgrounds already, I might as well stay a few more hours ane enjoy the rodeo! 

Tad was thrilled!  I don't know if he was thrilled because he got to watch the horses, or because he finally got to see his parents.   I'm very grateful our parents live close so he could basically "live" with them for 2 weeks. 

  Once again, we put him in for the mutton-busting, and he wasn't selected any of the nights.  :{

  My feet were beyond tired, I think I was there almost every single day.  The last Saturday of the fair is 4-H day.  Yeah!   We put together free actvities for youth to come by the building and do.  As part of my internship, I put together the activities like: homemade sidewalk chalk, goldfish racing, grow heads.    Thankfully, the Ambassadors and a few volunteers helped us out.   This wonderful volunteer helped me with the "Layering Liquids" booth - super cool activity to do with kids!
I have to say, there are a lot of ungrateful, bratty kids out there.  Most were pretty good, but after they completed their passports they could turn them in and spin a wheel for a little prize (pens, pencils, stickers, cd's, t-shirts, etc.) Some of them were so rude when they didn't get the item they wanted.  I'm sorry, but it's FREE, take what you get!  
It is sad that we won't be as involved in the fair next year.  I'm an organization freak and that's why I like it.   We'll still stop by to see how it turns out, but I can't say I'm going to miss the 16 hour days. 

One of the things I tried during the fair was the last day we make lunch for the workers between take down and county pick up.  I made cafe rio taco bowls that were delicious!  I'll post the recipe one day!