By Pastor Leah Fintel Krotz, Trinity Lutheran Church, Bruning
I’m writing this column on the opening day of the 2025 Thayer County Fair. Although the fair “officially” kicks off tonight, many, many people have been working hard to prepare for it weeks and months in advance. Fair board members, extension staff, 4-H members, leaders, and families, FFA advisors, exhibitors, superintendents, and others devote countless hours to make it all happen.
Since you’ll be reading this after the fair is over, I certainly hope you took the time to walk through the barns and the exhibit building, as well as checking out the midway and all of the entertainment, to mention enjoying a piece of homemade pie, a corndog, or an elephant ear. If not, make plans now for next year—the Thayer County Fair is always held the second weekend in August.
4-H played a big part in my growing up years, and the fair was a highlight of the summer. Besides the fun of riding on the carnival rides, meeting friends we hadn’t seen all summer, and wishing we could play Bingo (you had to be 18 to play in those days), it was exciting to arrive on the opening night of the fair to see what ribbons you might have won. My mom was an active 4-Her in York County, and our kids were very involved in Republic County Kansas 4-H. Now that we’re back in Thayer County, it’s so much fun to be involved in 4-H and fair activities once again.
Not a 4-Her? You can still participate by entering items in Open Class. There are so many talented gardeners, bakers, crafters, woodworkers, quilters, and more who could enter their items to help make our fair exhibits even more interesting. After all, if no one enters, there’s nothing for anyone to see. The more people who participate in the parade, the exhibits, or whatever else is going on, the better the fair is and more people it attracts—which helps our county fair become even more fun!
The same is true of volunteering—if you’re good at woodworking or sewing or cooking or gardening, why not share that priceless knowledge with the next generation? God has given us abilities and opportunities not so that we can hoard them for ourselves, but so that we can participate in His work by helping others.
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” –1st Peter 4:10
