When the county fair ends, the ribbons come down.
The livestock goes home. Projects are packed away. Barns grow quiet again.
But behind all those young people proudly walking into a show ring or standing beside a project they worked months to complete is another group that doesn’t always end up in the photograph:
The volunteers.
Across the 2026 county fairs in Allamakee, Winneshiek, Howard and Chickasaw Counties, 779 young exhibitors participated, along with 222 Clover Kids. Together, those young people brought thousands of projects to their county fairs.
But here’s another number worth noticing:
235 volunteers.
Those volunteers contributed an estimated 4,000 hours to helping make the fairs possible.
That’s 4,000 hours spent preparing facilities, mentoring young people, coordinating exhibits, organizing livestock events and helping provide educational opportunities.
Sometimes it’s an early morning.
Sometimes it’s a late night.
Sometimes it’s helping a nervous youngster figure out what comes next.
And sometimes it’s simply being the person who says, “You’ve got this.”
The numbers tell quite a story. Winneshiek County volunteers contributed approximately 1,600 hours, Chickasaw County 1,000, Allamakee County 800 and Howard County 600.
But maybe the most important part can’t be counted.
It’s the confidence a child gains.
The lesson learned when something doesn’t go quite right.
The pride of finishing something they started.
And the memory of an adult who took the time to teach, encourage or simply stand nearby cheering them on.
County fairs may last only a few days.
What young people carry away from them can last much longer.
So this Tag… You’re It! goes to those 235 volunteers~ and to the families, businesses, organizations and community supporters who stand behind Northeast Iowa’s young people.
You may not have gone home with a ribbon.
But there’s a little bit of you behind every one that did. 🍀❤️
Tag… You’re It!
Deliverance Hope ~ word-round-town.com
Keep Goin’ ‘Round Town
There’s always another story waiting just around the corner.