For fans, the Kendall County Fair is a tradition not to be missed.
This year’s fair was held Thursday through Saturday at the fairgrounds in Yorkville.
Katie Findlay of Yorkville on Saturday morning said she is almost 46 years old and has been coming to the local fair “since I was 8.”
“After all these years – it’s about family fun and friends,” Findlay said. “As far as the go-to things, it’s definitely the livestock shows and the truck pull. You’ve also got to get yourself a pork burger or any kind of beef from our producers up there and then check out all the 4-H exhibits.”
Hailee Dannenberg, who works for the Kendall County Fair Association, said the purpose of the fair each year “is mainly to help showcase Kendall County kids and everybody’s work towards their projects.”
“Kids have worked really hard all year, and it also helps support our local vendors. A lot of them are local people,” she said. “It helps bring back families and gets people together.”
The fair again featured its usual lineup of events including 4-H exhibits and shows, a market and food vendors, a kids’ pedal pull and talent show and live music.
Findlay said she is a farm girl and that it is important to provide education for “the next generation who are going to learn how to raise animals and care for them ethically.”
“This is a great way for them to learn how to do that and we instill hard work,” she said on Saturday.
Findlay’s brother, Andy Schwartz of Newark, said he and his son August were happy to watch the livestock show at the fair.
“We grew up as kids doing the same thing – showing animals – and I like watching him and see him getting into it,” Andy Schwartz said of his son.
August Schwartz, 10, said he looks forward to “growing up and doing this and having fun with these animals.”
“When I’m all grown up I could see working on a farm. It’s a possibility and would be fun but, who knows?” he said. “It’s fun to come here and run around with your friends and be with the animals.”
Inside the 4-H barn, Jessica Johnson of Yorkville said a number of her children were involved in 4-H projects and that this was their third year participating.
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“For me, being in this and what I’ve seen as far as the positives is the confidence my children have gained – public speaking, judging, thinking through their projects,” she said. “There are a lot of different areas they can go into. Being this is the third year my kids took on a lot of this themselves.”
Lyla Johnson, 11, said she actually did five projects for the fair this year including a clay sunflower, candles, a stop-motion movie, a fairy garden and a visual arts 3D paper.
“I like to do a lot of different projects. I have a few friends in this too and like that I can win things,” she said. “I wouldn’t get awards if I just made these things at home. I like to put them in the fair and see if I can win something.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.