Fair all that is great about area

Don Alexander has it right.

Mr. Alexander, whose name is synonymous with the Boundary County Fair, told the Herald this week that much of the success of the fair is because it is a free fair.

As in no admission.

He's got it right, but the free admission isn't the only special thing going on at the fair.

Whether it is mutton busting, the chicken or greased pig chase, the cake and pie contests, the 4-H and FFA contests and displays or the exhibition hall, this county fair is still a slice of what America used to be.

I still have a special fishing pole I bought at the fair two years ago. It's a special spring-loaded one that collapses and is great for hauling around in a backpack.

I bought it from a man who travels to small fairs in the Northwest. He also remarked how special the fair was.

It is the one time of year we can see our neighbors, friends and relatives in one place. It's a great time to forget about the diet and jump into some delicious food.

I still remember swapping stories with the Shriners as I manned the cotton candy booth. It was fun to watch grown men and women covered in colorful stringed sugar serving the cotton candy.

Thanks to everyone who works so hard to make this fair special.

The Boundary County Fair is a great example of what was — and still is — special about life here.

—David Keyes is publisher of the Herald.