County Fairs: Rides, Ribbons & the Red, White & Blue of Americana

There’s just something about a county fair. Maybe it’s the way the scent of funnel cake clings to your clothes, or how you can hear the distant call of a livestock auction and a ring-toss game at the same time. Or maybe it’s the fact that for one glorious week each summer, a quiet patch of grass turns into the most exciting place in town—complete with blinking lights, oversized stuffed animals, and deep-fried… everything.

Where it all began

County fairs have been around longer than your Uncle Ed’s vintage tractor. The first U.S. fair is credited to a guy named Elkanah Watson (yes, really), who showed off his prize sheep in the early 1800s in upstate New York. Turns out, people loved gawking at good livestock. From there, fairs became a way to promote agriculture, educate the public, and sneak in a little fun on the side.

By the mid-1800s, county fairs were spreading like lemonade on a white picnic table. Farmers brought their best produce, kids showed off their 4-H projects, and everyone crossed their fingers that the Ferris wheel wouldn’t get stuck at the top.

North Carolina State Fair, 1928—livestock, crowds, and a Ferris wheel rising in the distance.

A Quick Ribbon for 4-H

You can’t really talk about county fairs without tipping your hat to 4-H. With clubs in nearly every county across the U.S., 4-H helps kids and teens build hands-on skills in everything from farming to photography to food science. The fair is their moment to shine—whether it’s a perfectly groomed calf, a batch of cookies, or a handmade quilt stitched with care and pride. These aren’t just projects—they’re milestones, displayed with pride (and sometimes a side of nervous energy) in barns and exhibit halls across the country.

I was a proud 4-H kid myself, and I still remember one fair in particular that involved a cake and table setting competition. The idea was to bake a cake and design a matching placemat to go with it. I went all in on a Valentine’s Day theme—heart-shaped red velvet cake with white frosting, and a red-and-white gingham placemat I stitched myself to match. Needless to say, I didn’t win (I don’t think I even came close), but I still remember it fondly. And if memory serves, my mom still has that placemat tucked away somewhere. Creased, faded, but full of heart.

How the Rides Roll In

Ever wonder how towering Ferris wheels and dizzying Tilt-A-Whirls seem to appear overnight in an empty field? The secret lies in a blend of ingenious engineering and a well-rehearsed routine involving a fleet of 18-wheelers. Most carnival rides are designed with mobility in mind—folding down into tidy, transportable units that can be driven from town to town, like amusement park transformers with their own travel itinerary.

Take the Ferris wheel, for example. With its center axle that folds down and seats that collapse into compact stacks, the whole towering structure can be packed neatly into just a few trailers. Then there’s the Tilt-A-Whirl, a ride that’s been spinning its way across the country since 1926, breaking down and reassembling with surprising ease. And for those brave enough to face the Zipper or Wipeout—both crowd favorites—the setup is almost faster than the time it takes to convince yourself to actually get on board.

All of it—the lights, the laughter, the loops and spins—arrives and departs in a matter of days, like a colorful traveling circus of hydraulics and heart. It’s part miracle, part logistics, and 100% fairground charm.

What’s a Fair Without Flair?

Today’s fairs still hold tight to their rural roots, but they've added a little razzle-dazzle. These days, it’s not just rides—it’s tractor pulls, pig races, demolition derbies, and contests that range from charming to downright questionable. Somewhere between a butter sculpture and a llama in a pirate costume, you realize: this isn’t just a fair—it’s a full-blown spectacle. Scroll down if you dare.

★ Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off: At the Alaska State Fair, growers compete to raise the biggest cabbage you’ve ever seen. We're talking 90+ pounds of leafy glory, hauled onstage like a vegetable heavyweight champion. Winning isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about cabbage legacy.

★ Ugly Lamp Contest: The Indiana State Fair hosts a competition where entrants vie for the title of the ugliest table lamp, with past submissions described as "functional, if disproportionate" and casting "a bilious tint."

★ Llama Costume Contest: Minnesota’s State Fair features a 4-H event where llamas are dressed in elaborate costumes, judged on creativity and poise, drawing standing-room-only crowds. Past entries have included llamas dressed as ballerinas, pirates, and even superheroes. There’s something uniquely charming about watching a llama in a tutu take center stage like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

★ Celebrity Milking Contest: At the New York State Fair, local celebrities compete in a milking contest, aiming to extract the most milk from a cow within a set time. This crowd-pleaser manages to be both awkward and oddly inspirational—and it honors the state’s deep roots in dairy farming.

★ Butter Sculptures: The Iowa State Fair is famous for its life-sized butter sculptures, with the iconic Butter Cow making its creamy debut in 1911. Sculptors use hundreds of pounds of butter to create everything from Elvis to Harry Potter scenes—all proudly chilled in a glass display for the admiration of butter lovers everywhere.

These distinctive competitions highlight the inventive spirit and community engagement that make county and state fairs a cherished tradition across America. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. From the Fastest Grocery Bagger showdown to the Husband Calling Contest at the Iowa State Fair, the variety is endless. There’s competitive beard growing, cow chip throwing, and watermelon seed spitting so precise it could qualify for the Olympics. It’s a delightful circus of talent, creativity, and chaos—and if you think that’s wild, just wait until we get to the food.

Don’t worry—we knew you’d want to see it. Here's a quick peek at the legendary Husband Calling Contest.
You're welcome.

Click on the image below to play the video.

Fair Food: A Separate Food Group

Some people go to the fair for the crafts or the car show. But let’s be honest—most of us are there for the food. And not just any food—state fair food, which seems to live by one golden rule: if you can fry it, serve it on a stick, or top it with cheese, it belongs here.

Across the country, fairs are serving up dishes that walk the line between genius and gastrointestinal adventure. A few favorites:

★ Deep-Fried Butter (Texas): Exactly what it sounds like. A frozen ball of butter dipped in dough and fried until golden. It melts in your mouth—and maybe also your arteries.

★ Kool-Aid Pickles (Mississippi): Dill pickles soaked in cherry Kool-Aid. Bright red, surprisingly sweet, and oddly addictive.

★ Lobster Corn Dogs (Maine): Because why settle for plain hot dogs when you can elevate your corn dog with seafood?

★ Spaghetti Ice Cream (New York): Vanilla ice cream extruded to look like spaghetti noodles, topped with strawberry “sauce” and grated white chocolate “Parmesan.” Finished with a Ferrero Rocher “meatball” and a biscuit on the side to complete the illusion. It’s dinner and dessert in the most confusingly delightful way.

★ Fried Jell-O (Texas): Because they weren’t done after the butter. Yes, it jiggles. Yes, it fries.

★ Hot Beef Sundae (Iowa): Mashed potatoes topped with roast beef, gravy, shredded cheese, and a cherry tomato on top—because presentation matters.

Oddities aside, the fair still delivers the nostalgic basics—and you can practically smell them before you see them. A blend of vanilla from the ice cream trailer, powdered sugar in the air, caramel corn popping in the background, and a cloud of cotton candy so sweet it practically hums.

Fairs Still Going Strong

Even in the age of screens and streaming, county fairs are still holding their own. They bring people together—neighbors, farmers, dreamers, teens with their first summer job running The Scrambler. (Ask me sometime about the time I had to clean out The Scrambler after a kid got sick. That was enough fair employment for me.) They’re loud, sticky, sometimes messy, and always full of giggles. They hold the kind of moments that make you nostalgic even while you’re still in them.

My kids—though they’re getting older—still look forward to the Garrett County, Maryland fair every summer. When they were little, the rides and games were the highlight. Then it shifted to the food. And now, I’ve noticed them lingering a little longer by the livestock pens. Funny how your favorite part of the fair changes over time—but the magic stays the same.

My son, Asher, beaming in the summer sun, made the paper that year—clutching a stuffed animal like a trophy, hair sticking up like he’d just stepped off a tilt-a-whirl. Peak fair vibes—and hair.

Not the clearest print (small-town papers don’t always digitize things), but there he is—my son in the paper. A proud fair moment preserved in newsprint. And pictured adjacent, a quick shoutout to the 4-H Robotics team from Bittinger, too. These kids keep the fair traditions—and innovations—going strong.

That year was a standout, but it’s the little things that turn into tradition. We always stop at the same food vendor, year after year, and somehow we always end up at the same exact picnic table. No one really planned it that way—it just became part of the rhythm. I’ve even got pictures from different years, all at that table. Same spot. Same smiles. A little more sun-faded each time.

Same table, another year. One’s feeding a sibling who doesn’t need to be spoon fed, one’s deep in thought, none are looking the same direction—and somehow, it’s perfect. Fair memories at their finest.

The scent of a summer memory

At Penny & Rose, we bottled up that feeling—the sugar-dusted air, the carnival lights, the way your fingers feel just a little sticky after holding a cotton candy cone. Our County Fair Cookies seasonal fragrance is a soft, sweet swirl of vanilla, spun sugar, and joy. It doesn’t come with a prize ribbon, but we like to think it’s a winner all the same.

Whether you’ve got a prize-winning memory or just came for the deep-fried trivia, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and say hi—no llama costume required.

Shop Our Collection

Find a County or State Fair Near You