The smell of farm animals and caramelized goods coats the air. Rides rattle as guests scream in fear. Concert music muffles the yells, echoing across the LED-lit fairgrounds. The Latah County Fair has arrived.
The Latah County Fair ran from Thursday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 20.
Grant Hulen, a University of Idaho student attending the fair for the first time, talked about how good his first experience at the fair was. “The fair was great. I hadn’t been to the fair before, the Moscow one at least, and expected something very small, but it was actually quite nice,” Hulen said.
There were many different sections displaying a wide variety of goods from paintings made by elementary school kids to massive vegetables grown throughout the year.
Through the various exhibits the fair, according to their website, “presents an opportunity for both young and old to exhibit their special skills and hard work.”
“My favorite part of the fair was looking at all the Lego Builds that the kids had made as it reminded me of when I was a kid and it just made me happy,” Hulen said.
While the exhibits put on by children showed what young people could bring to the fair, the quilting section highlighted what people of all age ranges could provide.
Dozens of hand-sewn quilts that members of the community designed were displayed in a room positioned at the back of the fair. Karen Owsley talked about how the quilt that she was displaying was sewn together with various different fabrics from Africa.
Her neighbor’s daughter, who was in Africa on a medical mission trip, purchased her many different fabrics to design a quilt out of. She talked about how the quilt was very difficult to build because of the differences of fabric between the traditional fabric she would use and the African fabric. She intends to give this quilt to her neighbor’s daughter after exhibiting it at the fair.
The display was put on by the group she is part of called Palouse Patchers. This group, which is about 175 people, provides both experienced and novice quilt makers the opportunity to show their current projects while also providing opportunities for novice quilters to learn about quilting.
Although groups like Palouse Patchers help quilters group together, connection extends to every aspect of the fair. A band called the Idaho Old Time Fiddlers, which had 10 to 15 people in it played at the fair. According to their website, this group helps fiddlers of all ages grow their musical talents in a fun and encouraging environment.
Many different children participating in 4-H and FFA youth livestock or small animal programs were able to show the animals that they had been fostering during the lead-up to the fair. Showing involves facing the animal towards the judge in a way that the judge is clearly able to see every part of the animal.
The fair will be back next year to bring the familiar fun that the Moscow community has come to expect.
Sounds quieted down as rides stopped running, and songs stopped playing. The faint noise of animals could be heard echoing through the quiet night as the fair came to a close.
Dominic Dorigo can be reached at [email protected]